In the Midst of it all
by the twist
Summary: COMPLETED! “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust...” Harry closed his eyes tightly, he was in great pain. Rains drops wet his face, mixing with the salty tears in his eyes. The priest concluded the prayer, “May Ginevra Molly Weasley’s soul rest in peace. Amen...”
1. PROLOGUE: At the Funeral

**(A/N updated on the 1st August 2007): **

**First of all, ****can anyone draw parallels between this story and 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows', especially when it was written three years ago?****   
**

**I've noticed that despite the fact that I completed this fanfic a long time ago, I still get a lot of page hits. So if you are reading this story, liked/disliked it and would like to comment on it, then plz don't hesitate. Because I just love reading reviews of what the readers think of my story! Thank you and enjoy!)**

**  
**

**PROLOGUE: The Funeral **

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust…"

Harry Potter closed his eyes tightly, he was in great pain. Rains drops wet his face, mixing with the salty tears in his eyes.

The priest concluded the prayer, "May Ginevra Molly Weasley's soul rest in peace… Amen."

'Amen…' Harry Potter silently whispered to himself, his eyes still shut. But that didn't help him from blocking Mrs. Weasley's piercing screams through the rain. "Not my angel! Not my Ginny!" Nor it helped him to barricade his best friend's Ron Weasley's almost silent but painful cries.

Harry was terrified to open his eyes again and face reality around him once more. Instead, he began to wonder what it was like to die. Death was the simplest of answers. And perhaps it was the only a passage, a flight to the next world.

But his heart still could not accept the death of little Ginny Weasley. Not truly death, but a brutal and grotesque murder by same the monster who had slaughtered Harry's very own parents fifteen years ago, Lord Voldemort. Poor Ginny was just another lifeless victim of Lord Voldemort's malevolent plans, just like so many others. Indeed, Harry himself had been on the death list when he was barely a child, but miraculously had escaped Voldemort's Avada Kedavra curse with nothing more than a lightning-bolt scar on his forehead.

Harry's mind tried to imagine an abstract world in which his parents and Ginny had never died… but such a world was too thorny and difficult to conceive. This fact however remained unchanged, that reality, so plainly was placed before his very eyes and no matter how hard he tried he could not change it. At that precise moment, it seemed to him that Lord Voldemort had suddenly gone too far. However, it was too late to do anything. His parents were gone forever, and he could not bring Ginny back to the Weasleys.

"Come now, Molly dear…" Harry heard a hesitant and plaintive Arthur Weasley trying to console his wife. "It was her time to go. There's nothing we could have done to avoid this…"

Harry Potter dared to peek. As the rain splattered around the cemetery, with no more than a dozen people around, Harry eyed Ginny's parents. Molly Weasley was still lamenting, as her husband put his arms around her in comfort. Arthur Weasley, like the rest, also had distressing tears in his eyes.

Slowly, Harry turned to face the rest of Ginny's older brothers. Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred and George… they were all distraught, and it was unable to determine which one was more hurt. After all, they all loved Ginny, just the same.

Percy Weasley, the third eldest son, strode towards his mother and said, "Mother, we should go home…"

Molly looked at her son, weary eyed and exclaimed, "But we can't leave Ginny here!" She turned to her husband for support. "Arthur... Percy's gone mad! I am her mother and I shan't leave her alone, not for a second."

Arthur carefully observed his wife, and spoke in a calm tone, "No, he is right. We should head for home. Rain is terrible and we'll get pneumonia if we don't warm up soon."

"But…" Mrs. Weasley started.

"Ginny's home is here now." Arthur was being realistic. "Molly, we shall visit her again as soon as we can. I promise you that."

That seemed to calm Mrs. Weasley down a bit, enough for her husband to take her arm and lead her away from the cemetery. Almost everyone who had attended the funeral followed them.

Harry's other best friend Hermione Granger came up to him. There were no words as Hermione put her arms around him and burst into tears. Ginny Weasley had been her good friend, and Harry could tell that Hermione was very much suffering. After a few minutes of comforting, they let go of each other and Hermione slowly walked off in the direction where Ron was standing.

Viewing the casket where Ginny Weasley lay, Harry unhurriedly advanced towards it. The casket was half open, and Ginny lay peacefully in it, wearing a lovely white dress. Harry could not help noticing the peaceful, almost divine smile on her face. He knew he was going to miss that smile, terribly.

Harry closed his eyes once more and let all the waves of those wonderful memories splash his mind. He had first seen Ginny at King's Cross Station, near platform 9 ¾ when he was about to start Hogwarts. One year later, when Harry had been visiting the Weasleys, he had a suspicious feeling that Ginny liked him. There were many signs and those usually involved blushing and dropping various objects in his presence. And the first time she had spoken in front of him, it was to stand up against the archenemy of good, Draco Malfoy.

She had been a wonderful person. A person full of courage, strength and sense of humour, which was usually somewhat limited in front of Harry. Nevertheless, he could tell that Ginny Weasley was very much alive inside.

As much as Harry wanted to deny it, he always knew that Ginny was very fond of him. He was not exactly sure to what extent, but it had been there. Maybe it was even love, but Harry couldn't tell. How he wished now, to ask her this. Behind all this façade of shyness, Ginny had shown great integrity. Harry remembered how she kept her word and went to the Yule Ball two years ago with clumsy old Neville Longbottom, turning down the opportunity to go with Harry.

How ironic life was! Harry had saved Ginny from the clutches of Lord Voldemort once before. Why did he fail to save her life again? Why? Harry still could not understand. He had let down everybody down, including himself. In fact, it was probably entirely his fault that Ginny Weasley was lying in this casket right this moment. Lord Voldemort wanted Harry dead, and in the process, countless innocent people were killed. The Weasleys were never going to forgive him and he was never going to forgive himself.

Hot tears spurted from his eyes as he gazed at Ginny. She had been so strong from inside. She hadn't died the first time round from the Lord Voldemort's diary incident, which had clearly proved that her soul had been stronger than the evil of Voldemort's. And most importantly, she had learned to live with herself long after facing Voldemort alone.

How would Harry live without her? How could he survive knowing she was dead and buried?

Harry Potter cared so much about her. All of a sudden, a new wave of a wonderful emotion flew inside of him. It was so powerful that Harry was almost elevated to the heavens, as a smile formed on his face. He had loved Ginny Weasley, for the person she was.

He was going to miss her. Harry closed eyes yet again and began to cry silently. Why did he fail to acknowledge this feeling of love? And why couldn't he have rescued her and saved everyone from all this heartrending torment?

Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he slowly turned only to face his best friend. Ron Weasley had puffed eyes and his nose was scarlet as his hair.

"It's time to go, Harry." Ron informed in a sober tone.

"I'm so sorry!" Harry exclaimed as Ron embraced him like a brother. "I'm so sorry!"

"No, Harry! It was never your fault." Ron was speaking the truth. "It was Voldemort who murdered her! I swear, someday I will have his blood on my hands, like he had Ginny's blood on his."

The rain was suddenly stopping as the sun's intense rays started to steal through the gloominess over the sparkling green grass. A delicious breeze, brimmed with colourful flower petals soared from the west towards Ron and Harry and seemed to hover gently around them in perfect spirals. For a split moment, everything seemed to be so wonderfully peaceful and serene, and even euphoric.

It was after a while before the blossomed wind lifted and Harry silently watched it flutter away, strangely feeling as if that mysterious breeze took away some his grief with it.

"Let's go." Ron was saying. "And leave what needs to be left behind."

Harry Potter glanced one last time at Ginny. He felt his heart crush when he finally realized that he would never be able see this beautiful Ginny Weasley alive again. And Harry never did.


	2. Harry's Dementor

**CHAPTER 2: Harry's Dementor **

With everyone rushing past him to get inside the Great Hall, Harry Potter stood still at the entrance, intently watching the dazzling interior of perhaps one of the biggest chambers at Hogwarts. Four long tables for the four houses were stretched throughout and rapidly were being filled up with students eager for the Welcoming Feast. The chill of the September was being suppressed by warm fires that were lighted up at both sides of the vast hall. The enchanted sky above Harry appeared wondrous; perfectly fastened against the high ceiling, it was full of stars that gleamed like fireflies trying their best not to let the colour of the night fully overcome. Nothing seemed to have changed. Yet, everything had changed; at least for Harry it had.

For first time in his life, Harry was not so glad to be back at Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry even though living with Dursleys for the rest of the summer holidays had been more than hell this time around. His uncle Vernon had been beefy and nasty as ever, Aunt Petunia still hated him for being her 'freaky' sister's son, Dudley was as piggy, fat and mean like always and… Ginny Weasley was still dead.

Two dreary and stretched out months had passed and Harry's pain was still as fresh. Of course, he had accepted Ginny's death a long time ago, but the hurt never left. Instead it grew inside of him, little by little endeavouring to engulf all the happiness that had ever existed inside of him. And if all that happiness were to disappear, then there would no point in living any further and he would surely die.

Harry slowly walked towards the Gryffindor table, trying hard to be as inconspicuous as possible and sat down next to a bunch of second years whom he had never spoken with. It was only minute or two later when he was joined by one of his closest friends, Hermione Granger who hesitated but a single second to talk to him.

"Hello…" Her voice sounded solemn and dejected.

Harry gave her small nod to acknowledge her greeting while easily noticing that her hands were slightly shaking; a signal that he had observed over the years about his best friend when she was feeling fairly apprehensive.

"You all right, Harry?" Hermione asked him after some time.

"I'm fine," lied Harry, without looking up at his best friend. He still had a very hard time facing people and that included Ron and Hermione. It was due to the fact that Harry didn't want anyone to notice the obvious and agonizing twinge in his eyes. They sat in complete silence throughout the sorting of the first-years, both of them avoiding each others' eyes and feeling as uncomfortable as if they just has met for the first time.

It was a while later when Hermione cleared her throat. "Harry…" she seemed cautious. "I have been meaning to talk to you about something… " But she didn't have the chance to say what was on her mind, because at that moment, Professor McGonagall's voice echoed through the Great Hall. "Attention please. Professor Dumbledore would like to have a few words with all of you."

Harry looked up at the end of the Great Hall towards the centre of the High Table where their headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, was standing up in order to deliver perhaps a welcoming speech. It didn't take Harry long to notice that there was no usual gleam on Professor Dumbledore's moonlit face, but it was replaced by a hint of melancholy.

"I graciously welcome everyone to another year at Hogwarts." Then Professor Dumbledore paused for a long time as if searching for the right words to say. "I believe all of you have heard of the terrible ordeal that has befallen upon the Weasley family. Their youngest daughter, Miss Ginevra Weasley who had been with us at Hogwarts for the past four years, is regrettably no longer with us." Tears were forming in Dumbledore's eyes. Harry had never seen anyone as strong and powerful as this Hogwart's headmaster weep in front of the whole school.

This was no new news to anyone. Ginny's loss had been mentioned for several days in the Daily Prophet. There were a few sobs here and there in the Great Hall. Indeed, the whole school seemed to be mourning over Ginny's death at that moment. Even the Slytherin table seemed unusually quiet, as if showing some sketch of respect. It almost seemed awkward, Draco Malfoy, and his sidekicks Crabbe and Goyle, not smirking at this.

Professor Dumbledore continued, "I shall not hide from you the terrible truth, as now lies and deceit in this world will not protect anyone of you. Ginny Weasley, merely did not just die a natural death. She was killed by Lord Voldemort himself!"

There was a sudden uproar of shocked and astonished gasps from everywhere, then an instant of murmurs and frightened whispers.

"Ginny Weasley is now another countless victim of Lord Voldemort." Dumbledore's voice boomed in the hearts of everyone. "I have been deeply saddened by this, and I hope you realise the seriousness of this horrifying situation. Voldemort's power is rising by great heights, and anyone in this hall can be easily considered one of his preys. I, therefore, advise all of you to be on your best watch as I fear that a terrible war might be brewing upon us. A war that will seize hold and snatch away the people that we love the most. A war that will cause destruction and havoc throughout and it will not show mercy upon any one of us.

"For that reason and that reason alone, we must be prepared, willing and ready to defeat and conquer any force that will try to cause us any harm. And believe me that I will be personally responsible for all the preparation and training that will hopefully arm all the students against this calamity. As you will see in the near future, that certain enforcements will soon be implemented at Hogwarts. This will ensure the safety of all, as well each and every one of you will be taught some powerful and advanced ways to defend oneself." He stopped for a second. "For the time being, there will be no Defence Against the Dark Arts classes. We will begin to conduct the lessons as soon as we have finished with the implementation. That will be all. Now, my students, enjoy the feast."

Exactly at that moment, tables were being filled with luscious and mouth-watering food. Harry, who was incredibly hungry, had his appetite taken away when he had heard Professor Dumbledore's speech.

Harry was almost frightened to face his best friend, Ronald Weasley who was now sitting next to Hermione and this was very strange because Ron always chose to sit beside Harry in the past. What's more, Harry felt sure that Ron was doing his best not to look him in the eye and it seemed apparent at least on Harry's part that his friend wanted to keep his distance from his sister's murderer. And once again, but after a very long time, Harry felt completely alone in his world. After all, it was because of him that many failed to exist in this life. Two years back, Cedric Diggory, a Hufflepuff, had also been murdered by Lord Voldemort. And that too, had been because of Harry. And if he hadn't tried to be such a hero, he wouldn't have been the main cause of Sirius Black's death, his Godfather and the only living person who loved Harry as much as his parents. Now who would be insane enough to trust Harry Potter anymore?

When the feast finished, all students headed towards their respective house dormitories. Only a few of them met up with Harry namely Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, Colin Creevy and Parvati Patil, all Gryffindors. Ron still hadn't spoken with him since they had arrived at Hogwarts. Harry miserably headed towards the Gryffindor Tower, walking with no one in particular, and feeling his heart turning into solid lead.

Upon reaching the Gryffindor common room, Harry headed straight for his dormitory. Other Gryffindors usually took this time to meet their old friends and chat about what happened to them over the summer. This worked as a quite an advantage for Harry, as he wanted to be left completely alone. His belongings had already arrived and Harry quickly changed into his sleeping things, took off his glasses and quietly stole into bed.

This was, without any doubt, the hardest part of the day for Harry. It was extremely difficult for him to fall asleep, without recalling the scenes of Ginny's murder in his mind. Harry had tried his best not to think about any of it, but it seemed ridiculously impossible. And to make matters even worse, he still had horrible and confusing nightmares about Voldemort, Ginny and his parents. They were by no means, pleasant dreams and it was like Harry had to endure some more million of deaths. And sometimes, he would also dream about the future and how the world would turn against him and consider him one of Lord Voldemort's allies. He would then be abandoned, left in confines of shadows and darkness that will lusciously devour his wretched soul…

Harry thoughtlessly wondered if he would ever meet Ginny in heaven. Chances didn't look too good, as he would probably end up being fuel for the fires of hell. Thinking about Ginny again, flooded all recollections of their past in his mind. Oh, how he missed her. Even though she and Harry were never truly became good friends, he could feel, somewhat an emptiness and void in him. She was a remarkable and enchanting person, she made Harry fall in love with her even after she died. Why did he have to kill her?

And now Ron was never going to speak with him ever again. Harry couldn't blame his best friend, not for a moment. By murdering Ginny, he also killed the hearts hopes of many others, especially her family.

Salty tears were forming in his grief-stricken eyes. This whole incident felt too much of a heavy load for Harry to bear in his heart. It hurt him deeply, a pain he by no means had endured in his troubled past. Harry never had cared for anyone as much as he did for the Weasleys. They were always good to him, they showed Harry that love still existed in this foul world. He had been on a haunted journey to find the hidden thread of hope inside of him and the Weasleys were the ones who helped him discover that it still existed in him.

And how did Harry repay them? By killing off the youngest Weasley. By murdering Arthur and Molly Weasleys only daughter, and Ron's favourite sibling even though he'd never admit it, not even after her death. Yes, that is how Harry managed to settle the score with them, and he was miserably beginning to realize, moment by moment, that hope was deserting him again, and whatever speck of bliss he had constructed in all this time was slowly fading away.

Twisted emotions were bombarding his head from all directions, and Harry wasn't sure it he could take it anymore! Why was all of this happening…? Why did Ginny have to die…? Why was he feeling all so alone in this world…? Too much was attacking his mind at the same time and his heart was plunging deep into the shadows by the second. It was as if Harry's brain was spinning and spinning and wouldn't stop till he died of confusion and frustration.

Harry Potter did not need a dementor to suck all traces of bliss inside him and to finish him off. His very own guilt and shame would just be enough to perform the task.

* * *

**Hope all the readers enjoyed it. That's really the point of writing isn't it...**


	3. The News

**CHAPTER 3: The News **

Harry woke up with a start, just as the piercing sunlight streaming in from the nearest dormitory window hit his face. At first, everything seemed blurry for a moment, and Harry's eyes took a few moments to adjust to the light of the surroundings. He grabbed his rounded glasses from the night table, put it on and gave a hasty glance around the sun-spilled dormitory. All beds were empty; it seemed that his roommates had gotten an early head start to this beautiful day.

"I was wondering when you would wake up." A voice suddenly spoke.

Immediately, Harry turned towards the corridor and saw Ron leaning casually against the wall. His face was hinting a very thoughtful expression. "Harry, I believe we need to talk."

"Ron...?" Harry was quite startled. He couldn't guess why.

"Just listen to me... Harry! If you think, even for a second, that I blame you for any of this – then you've gone bloody mad!"

Harry couldn't do much, but just solemnly stare at his best friend. His throat had suddenly gone dry and crusty.

Ron came closer and sat at the edge of Harry's bed. "Look Harry... you _still_ are my best friend and I care about you very much. That also implies that I know what you may be going through." Traces of tears were beginning to reflect in his eyes. "Ginny was meant to die... and it was preordained by God for this to happen. So, don't go off, accusing yourself for something you had absolutely no control of. You didn't kill her, you-know-who did... actually, from now on, I'm going to call that bastard by this tainted name - _Voldemort_ murdered her. Do you understand?

"But she wouldn't have died if..." Harry started but Ron cut him off.

"Now stop it! What is done, is done!" Ron exclaimed with a slight bit of annoyance, but then he gave a very odd smile. "I don't want this or anything else to come between us. Imagine, if I lost you as a friend - then I would have to hang about Hermione all the time." His face was creasing with teasing fear. "That'd be horrible, Harry! She'd drive me completely nuts with all her studies and bickering. I'll surely end up in the loony bin at St. Mungo's Hospital. You can not do this to me, Harry!" Ron was screaming in a joking sort of way.

Harry wasn't sure what to say, but he did manage to produce a small grin and he couldn't have helped that.

Ron appeared quite happy with this achievement of getting that smile out of Harry after such a long time, but then he turned serious again but it was only for a few minutes. "I know none of us will ever be able to ever forget Ginny, but it's best that everybody carry on with their lives. And we must try to do the same." He smiled at Harry once more and then glanced at his watch. "Will you look at the time? We're ten minutes late for breakfast."

Harry groaned out loud as Ron grabbed his arm and pulled him off the bed.

"Come on now, sleepyhead." Ron ordered sharply. "Wash up and then immediately go down to the Great Hall. Do I make myself clear?"

Harry nodded slightly as Ron gave him a warning look and left.

As much as Harry wanted to deny it, he did feel fairly better. It was unbelievable that Ron wanted him as a friend just like always, even after what he had done to his sister. In fact, it was a direct miracle from God that Ron wasn't mad at him.

Ronald Weasley was right. Harry must get on with his life. But only if it were that easy to do so...

Ten minutes later, Harry joined his two best friends at the breakfast table down in the Great Hall.

"Good morning, Harry." Hermione spoke in the most casual manner as Harry took a seat between her and Ron. "Professor McGonagall has already passed out our sixth year class schedules. You won't be able to believe it, but we have double Potions, Transfiguration and History of Magic with the Slytherins this time. It's absolute cruelty to us! Especially now that hoodwink of a Malfoy is becoming more of a nuisance than ever. Do you remember last year, when he magicked us into speaking everything backwards?"

"Of course!" Ron cried out between mouthfuls of bread and jam. "We couldn't communicate with anyone for a whole week! That low-down filthy piece of git… Remind me to get back at him sometime later, alright?"

Harry was placing a stack of pancakes on his plate, when Hermione announced. "I have already started planning on studying for N.E.W.T.S. Over the summer, I've managed to work out this amazingly organised study tactics..."

Ron gazed at her, unbelievingly. "Are you nutters, Hermione? N.E.W.T.S don't come until _after_ the end of NEXT year!"

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "It never hurts to study beforehand, Ron. Unlike you, who never bothers till the last minute…"

"At least, I have a life!" Ron snapped almost furiously. "I don't go off to the library twenty-four seven and thinks that all the answers or solutions of the entire universe lie in some stupid books!"

"Do you realise how many OWLs you got, Ron?" Hermione demanded with an air of agility. "Seven! And we all can agree that seven's a pretty humiliating number…"

Ron lashed back at her. "As opposed to the twelve OWLs that you got? What do you want to prove to the world, Hermione? That you can defy and go beyond the protocols of human sanity!"

Harry had to smile. Things were beginning to sound normal already.

"Shut up, Ron!"

"You shut up!"

Just then, a flock of owls flew inside the Great Hall and released various types of post and packages to various students.

Harry received a copy of the Daily Prophet from Hedwig. Just as he was opening it, a letter dropped on Ron's lap.

"It's from mum." Ron was taken aback.

No one in the trio said anything for some time, as they stared at each other, not knowing what to do. Then Hermione broke the silence. "Are you going to open it, Ron?"

Ron shifted nervously and said. "I guess..." Slowly, he tore open the envelope and pulled out a long letter. "Shall I read it...?"

A nod from Hermione made it clear to Ron that he should. "Dear Ron..." he began. "I hope your trip to Hogwarts wasn't too rough. Did you finish the corned beef sandwiches I made for you? I know very well that they don't serve anything nutritious on the train. Just a load of rubbish like Bertie Botts Every flavour beans and Chocolate Frogs." Ron stopped for a second. "I miss Ginny very much, Ron. But I have realized now that it's not worth throwing your life away. I still have much to do, a lovely husband and six wonderful children to take care of. And I will fulfil this duty till my last breath."

Ron went on. "Though, I am a little worried about your father. You know how he was unusually quite throughout the rest of the summer. I fear that he might be holding back on his pain. Talking with him didn't help much, but I can only assume that time is the best healer. Thank goodness, Arthur just got landed with a very amusing and interesting case involving a muggle girl. Quite astonishing, I must add, and I'm sure even Dumbledore won't a mouthful to say about this. It's also a front page story in today's edition of Daily Prophet. Nevertheless, I hope this case can help Arthur subside all that he's going through at the moment. Take care of yourself, Ron. And it's no hidden fact that I love you very much."

Ron folded the letter. "That's it."

"I'm sorry about your dad..." Harry spoke softly.

Ron shrugged. "Don't worry about him. I'm pretty sure this whatever 'muggle girl' project will sweep him right back to his old cheery self. He still is very fond of muggles… you know."

"Of course." Hermione agreed. "We had better get going. Double Potions! Ouch! I do hope Snape isn't in his one of his usual moods."

The three of them left the Great Hall, collected their books from their dormitories in the Gryffindor tower and then rushed towards the dungeons down below the sweeps of Hogwarts castle. Harry felt dreadful upon entering the chilly class, well aware of the lovely day above them.

Their potions master, Professor Snape didn't miss a beat when he saw Harry coming in his class, as he exclaimed. "Ah, Potter and his side-bunnies. I believe you three are exactly..." he leisurely glanced at the wall clock. "... a minute and fifty-three seconds late. That will cost you about ten points off your house. Each."

Angrily, they sat down at the far end of the class as Professor Snape began to deliver his customary intolerable lectures. "As you can tell by the look on my face, that I am EXTREMELY disappointed at students who failed to get the _Emoveo_ Potion correct last year. Sad to say..." he skimmed over a parchment in his hand, "...from out of twenty-seven students, only four managed to be successful at brewing this delicate transferring potion. Namely, Mr. Malfoy here displayed one of his true abilities in the art of potion making. However, the other three - Miss Granger, Miss Brown and very surprisingly… Mr. Potter somehow managed to brew a… just-acceptable potion."

The Potions master eyed the class sternly and then raised one of his eyebrows at Harry as if eyeing him with suspicion of having cheated last year. Clearing his throat, he ordered in the dullest of tones. "Now, this lesson will be spent by those who failed, brewing another _Emoveo_ batch. Miss Granger, Mr. Potter and Miss Brown will assist the whole class."

"What about Malfoy...?" Ron snapped. "He's no better than the rest of..."

"Very good Weasley," declared Snape. "Another ten points off, for your impudence."

Harry saw Ron scrunching his teeth in fury. Hermione quickly whispered something in Ron's ear before he could say anything stupid and get himself even in more trouble with Snape, and in a few minutes, she had given him all the necessary ingredients and instructions for preparing the potion correctly. Hermione also helped out a few other students, along with negligible help from Harry who absolutely had no clue what had to be done and kept wondering himself silly how on earth he could have gotten it correct while brewing the _Emoveo_ batch in last year's potion class. Hermione had to spend quite some time with Neville Longbottom, his potion looked more disastrous than ever before.

When Harry and Hermione had finished helping out the students in class (though Harry was only pretending to give out instructions and going about as if he knew everything), they sat down beside Ron as he continued to brew his potion. "What to do now?" Ron asked them quietly, but looked exasperated. "What do you add after the stirring the potion seventeen times?"

"Half a cup of Muck Fish essence. And don't pour it all at once." Hermione answered him and then turned towards Harry. "Where's your copy of today's Daily Prophet?" she wanted to know. "I wonder what's that article Mrs. Weasley had mentioned is all about. I just overhead Hannah Abbott and Lavender Brown talking about it."

Harry silently pulled it out from under a stack of books and handed it to her, while turning in the direction of Snape who was quite busy screaming at Vincent Crabbe for not knowing how to count properly, as that dumb-headed Slytherin had stirred the _Emoveo_ potion a wrong number of times and had ruined it completely.

When the coast seemed clear, they all glimpsed at the newspaper when Hermione held it out for all three of them to see. "Wow!" Ron suddenly exclaimed, his eyes widening with excitement. "This is fascinating..."

"Shhh, Ron." Harry nudged him in the ribs. "Snape will hear you."

"How can this be?" Hermione was in denial as she stared at the headlines. "It's… impossible!"

"But it has happened." Harry pointed out as the threesome began to read the article without a sound...

_MUGGLE GIRL FOUND OUT TO BE A GENUINE WITCH_

_Yesterday, a muggle girl named Shauna Swirl was discovered by the wizarding family, the Fawcetts, to be a real witch. Shauna Swirl was on her way to meet a friend in Little Whinging, when she got lost. Fortunately for her, she ended up near the __Fawcett__Mansion__, where Mrs. Dana Fawcett kindly took her in and provided some shelter. Mrs. Fawcett had immediately noticed that she was a muggle, as Shauna was carrying muggle money and objects, furthermore her speech indicated that she was not aware of magic at all. _

_Mr. Jack Fawcett's eleven inches unicorn hair wand was lying on the dinning table, and easily caught Shauna's attention after dinner. She innocently picked it up to inspect it and suddenly green sparks came flashing out of the wand with a screeching sound. Scared, Shauna dropped the wand just as the Fawcetts came rushing inside. At once, Mr. Fawcett was extremely interested towards what he had seen just moments earlier. He encouraged Shauna to pick up the wand, and told her to give it a wave with the simple incantation, "Wingardium Leviosa". Hesitant at first, Shauna did what Mr. Fawcett had told her, and seconds later, the flower pot on the dinning table was hovering in the air._

_Mrs. Fawcett immediately owled the Ministry of Magic and briefed them about the current situation. In twenty minutes, Arthur Weasley, Head of __Magical Law Enforcement Squad, arrived at the scene. He had also brought along a medi-wizard, Dr. Dromie Ramsey, who gave Shauna a full wizard checkup and soon after confirmed that Miss Shauna Swirl was, without any doubt, a full, authentic witch._

_The Ministry of Magic was quite mystified at this discovery, as well as Professor Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts – __School__ of __Witchcraft__ and Wizardry. He explained that in his office, there's a magical quill which detects the birth of a magical child, and writes his or her name down in a large parchment book. Every year Professor McGonagall, the deputy Headmaster, checks the book, and sends owls to the people who are turning eleven. However, Shauna Swirl's name is not present in any part of the parchment book at all and consequently, no letter was ever sent to her. _

_On the advice of Arthur Weasley, a DNA (muggle genetic confirmation test) was done in order to verify whether Shauna genetically belongs to her parents or not. Unexpectedly, the results affirmed with much evidence that Shauna was indeed the biological child of the Swirls. _

_Not anyone in the Ministry of Magic can come up with a decent clarification. Even Professor Dumbledore can find no logical or magical explanation for this baffling situation. _

_For now, Arthur Weasley is given charge to manage this case. Miss Shauna Swirl will be admitted at Hogwarts as soon as the preliminary investigation about her strange muggle-witch dilemma is completed. More updates will be available soon._

"I can't believe dad is in charge of this whole thing." Ron exclaimed excitedly.

"But I don't understand it... not at all." Hermione was saying. "Why didn't the magical quill detect her? It's completely not possible, according to _Hogwarts, A History_."

And Harry was putting forward. "Maybe...some witch or wizard transmitted their powers into her. Like this Emoveo Potion can do. And…"

"And what are you young chaps talking about?" Snape yelled as he hovered over the threesome. He snatched the Daily Prophet away from them and announced. "Will you ever learn, another twenty points off Gryffindor. Tsk, tsk."

Harry nervously smiled at his two friends and just shrugged. It seemed as if it was going to be a long day.

* * *

**(A/N: The part about the magical quill at Hogwarts is a fact that JK Rowling herself told in the Scholastic Online****Interview.**

**I sincerely hope that you have enjoyed the story so far and I would love it to know what you thought about it. So please don't forget to leave a review. Thank you.)**


	4. Arrival of a Surprise

**------------------ CHAPTER 4: Arrival of a Surprise ------------------**

Harry watched Hermione's confident face wilting at the thought of the task Professor McGonagall had just asked her to do.

"Don't be silly Ms. Granger, it's not going to bite you." The Professor was saying in a somewhat stern manner. "Now, go on closer and say the incantation out loud."

Ron suppressed back an obvious chortle at the sight of Hermione standing right before a full-grown male lion at the front of the Transfiguration classroom. She seemed completely petrified; her wand was firmly clutched in her right hand. The lion kept opening its humungous mouth as if yawning and displaying to her a gleaming set of razor-sharp teeth.

Hermione gulped, clearly in a state of nervousness and confusion. A few apprehensive moments passed before she finally managed to collect herself together, raised her wand at the beast and muttered. "_M… Mutatio Inermis_."

As soon as she had said the spell, the lion made an attempt to leap at her. However, the stream of bright blue lights that had come out from her wand struck the beast in mid-air right in its chest and reduced it into a tiny Persian cat which landed on the floor with a soft thud.

There was an instant of pure silence, then the class burst out clapping at the wondrous display by their classmate. The newly formed cat curled itself between Hermione's feet and began to purr tenderly, causing all the students (including Hermione) to laugh in copious amounts.

"Thank you, Miss Granger." Professor McGonagall spoke to Hermione as well as addressing the whole class. "That was quite an excellent demonstration of the transformation of dangerous creatures into less harmful ones." The professor adjusted her squared-glasses and frowned when she recalled what had happened earlier. "It's strange... sometimes; I really do think I'm losing my memory these days. Imagine, coming to a Transfiguration lesson without your wand. And if Mr. Potter hadn't kindly offered to retrieve it, we would have been terribly lost in class today. I truly hope I remember next time. Well then, class dismissed."

Harry was very happy; Transfiguration had been the last lesson for the day and for the week. He was going to use the two days of the weekend only to relax.

And lately, he had been feeling a lot better. The first week at Hogwarts had been the worst, but slowly Harry was learning to live on without Ginny and lessen his pain, mostly because Ron had been trying to do the same. Both them sort of balanced each other's ache. Furthermore, Harry also had been sleeping better at nights.

"The lesson had been interesting, hadn't it?" Hermione was saying as the three of them walked out of the classroom. "Indeed, I had been quite scared standing opposite a fierce creature, but the fear left me as soon I had said out the incantation. It's quite useful, that spell. Professor McGonagall certainly knows how to make her lessons constructive and fun at the same time."

"Speaking of McGonagall…." Ron breathed out to Harry and Hermione as they headed in the direction of Gryffindor tower. "I passed her office earlier today, and you won't believe who I saw in there?"

"Who?" Hermione wanted to know.

Ron's smile turned mysterious as he remarked. "Wouldn't you like to know, Hermione?"

She glared at Ron in such a way, that if looks could kill - he would be dead by now.

"I was completely shocked. Yes, I was…" Ron was endeavouring to torture them. "I still can't believe who I saw in there! I mean it was sooooo shocking…"

"Spit it out, Ron!" Harry was getting slightly annoyed. "Who did you see?"

"Alright, alright." Ron gave up his teasers and confided. "Well, first I heard two voices talking to McGonagall; it was a man and a woman. I wasn't interested in their conversation at all and kept walking till I heard the name…" he paused to give it some drama. "Shauna Swirl!"

Hermione raised her eyebrows and said sarcastically. "Oh… that's it?"

Ron gave her an irritated glance and went on. "Immediately, I stopped to listen. The people Professor McGonagall was talking to were Shauna's parents. They seemed a bit upset at the fact that their daughter was a witch– who wouldn't be? I'm sure it does come as a big shock, especially to muggle parents who have absolutely no idea of the wizarding world. (Hermione was rolling her eyes at this.) Probably even worse for the Swirls, as Shauna was discovered four years late."

"Hold on…" Harry wondered. "How do you know that she got discovered four years late?"

There was mystifying look on Ron's face. "I have my sources… and don't expect me to reveal them to you."

"No, he doesn't!" Hermione snapped angrily. "He gets all his _scoops _from Fred and George, who are sitting at the Burrow comfortably at the moment. And they get their complete information from Mr. Weasley. Don't try to hide it, Ron. I know the twins send you letters almost everyday containing Miss Shauna Swirl this… and Miss Shauna Swirl that!"

Ron appeared pretty cross about this. "If I had known any better, I would say that you are jealous of her…"

"Jealous….?" Hermione's eyes widened with disbelief. "Why on earth would I be jealous of her?"

Before Ron could answer, Harry cut in. "What else did you hear?"

"Actually, Shauna was there as well. But I couldn't see her because the door was almost fully closed. But I did glimpse at her parents." Ron looked pretty smug about it.

"She was here?" Harry seemed surprised.

"Yes, and I heard McGonagall saying that she would start Hogwarts this Monday, and that means…" Ron seemed very thrilled about this. "She is going to be sorted, tonight."

Hermione completely wanted to change the subject. "Harry, do you mind if I borrowed your copy of _A Guide to Advanced Herbology_? I seemed to have misplaced mine… somewhere. In fact, I have a very strong suspicion that Neville mistook my copy for his and accidentally took it."

Fumbling in his book bag for some time, Harry couldn't find his copy either. "It's not here, must have left in the dormitory. Why don't you borrow Ron's?"

Hermione gave momentary look towards Ron and said. "I'd rather not…"

"You act as if I have poison all over myself." Ron was crying out in a frenzy, as he pulled out his copy and thrust it into Hermione's hands. "I'm not all that that bad, you know."

Hermione ignored him and didn't even bother to say thanks when they arrived at the Fat Lady's portrait. "Let's go to the common room. I need to get started on the Herbology homework about the Arabian killer flowers."

Upon reaching there, Hermione instantly went towards a table, sat down and started on her Herbology homework. Harry and Ron had no intentions of studying and just sat down beside her while she worked.

Harry had a question. "Ron…? I still don't quite understand about this… muggle-witch thing. I mean, how come she was never detected by that Hogwart's quill? Has your dad come up with any explanation?"

Ron, still eager on the topic of Shauna Swirl, answered. "No, Not really. But when he had asked Shauna whether if she had had any 'magical' experiences in her past life, she was hesitant to answer but eventually had said yes. Weird… isn't it? That means she must have always been a witch."

"I'm a bit surprised Dumbledore hasn't been able to figure it out?" Harry pointed out. "And he's the most wise and smartest one in our lot."

"That's true, Harry." Hermione commented as she leafed through the pages of _A Guide to Advanced Herbology. _"But sometimes things just happen, and they occur because of some reasons that can _never_ be explained. Of course, I believe…" But Hermione suddenly stopped, as she pulled out something from Ron's Herbology textbook.

Harry looked up at her and saw that she was holding a muggle photo of a pretty girl.

"Who's this, Ron?" Hermione demanded with a trace of anger in her voice.

"What…?" Ron seemed uninterested, but that only lasted for a second. His face cringed red with embarrassment when he saw the photo and then he tried to clarify the awkward situation. "Ah… that's a cousin of mine…"

Hermione wasn't easily fooled as she turned the photo around. It read 'Shauna Swirl.' She looked at Ron, straight in the eye. "You've got a picture of Shauna Swirl in your Herbology textbook? How could you…?"

"I…" Ron started, but was immediately a loss for words.

Hermione was enraged. "It clearly seems to me that you have definite liking for this phoney witch!" She threw the photo at Ron's face. "Maybe she can become your best friend from now on!" She was grabbing her things off the table.

"Hermione…" Ron was apologetic. "That's what not it looks like. I swear it over Merlin's wand. Please…"

"No, Ron!" she snarled at him and started to leave. "And enjoy our new best friend." With that, Hermione left for the girls' dormitory.

When Ron looked at his Harry, who was wearing a scowl on his face, had been just staring at them.

"I only wanted to see how she looked like, so I asked Fred and George to send me a picture of her." Ron finally admitted. "I didn't realize she would turn out to be extremely pretty."

Harry picked up the photograph and observed it carefully. Ron was right. Shauna Swirl did seem quite eye-catching. She had long, straight hair that glowed black as coal. Her green eyes sparkled in the picture, just as her elated smile.

"Doesn't look a day over than fifteen, does she?" Ron asked as he gazed at the photo over Harry's shoulder.

"No… she doesn't." agreed Harry, as he returned the photo to Ron. "You don't like her… in that way, do you?"

Ron pressed his lips together and then said. "No…of course not, Harry! You must be crazy to ask a question like that. And Hermione's just being stupid about it."

"Why don't you try explaining her the truth, alright? Tonight, at dinner."

"Guess giving it a try won't hurt." Ron said skeptically, staring in the direction of the girls' dormitory.

---------------------------------------------

Later that evening in their dormitory, Ron was making extra sure that he appeared positively presentable for dinnertime. Harry watched him with much amusement as his best friend carefully set his red hair back with a wet comb in front of a small mirror attached on the wall.

"For someone who's definitely not interested in Shauna, you sure seem very keen on impressing her. " Harry could not help saying this to Ron.

He turned to face towards Harry with a look of annoyance. "I'm doing this because I hate it when my hair falls over my eyes."

"Yes, of course…" Harry laughed to himself.

"I don't like the tone of your voice." Ron was exclaiming. "You sound as if you don't believe me."

Harry stopped smiling and put on a very serious face. "Oh, I believe you… don't worry."

The two of them went down together for dinner. After choosing a spot near the High Table, Harry and Ron seated themselves.

"Can you see Shauna?" Ron wanted to know as he looked over the crowd of innumerable students in the great Hall.

"No." replied Harry scanning the Great Hall as well. Hermione joined them a few minutes later, but she sat next to Harry and not with Ron.

"Harry…" Hermione went about saying. "Did you know I just wrote a letter to Victor... I told him I'd be very pleased if he invited me over to Bulgaria again next summer…"

"Vicky?" Ron demanded, not giving Harry a chance to say anything. "I thought you said that he was just… only your pen-pal now!"

Hermione gave him a shrewd smile. "A pen-pal as well as a worthy friend, unlike some other friends I have right here at Hogwarts whom I can not seem to trust anymore."

"I have absolutely no idea whom can you be talking about." Ron uttered turning away from her.

It appeared that Hermione had a right mind to say what she wanted, but then she thought otherwise and turned her back towards Ron as well.

"Isn't Ron such a jerk?" she asked Harry a couple of minutes later.

But Harry was saved from answering her, because at that moment Professor Dumbledore's voice echoed through the Great Hall. "Can I have all your attention, please?"

In a few seconds, nothing but silence could be heard. Professor Dumbledore continued. "Hogwarts will be bearing a new student from today. I do believe that most of you have kept up with the current state of affairs in the Daily Prophet. As mentioned in the newspaper, Miss Shauna Swirl will certainly begin Hogwarts, starting from Monday."

There was a big applause from all the students and teachers.

"Before dinner, she will be sorted into one of the houses of Hogwarts." Professor Dumbledore announced. "Professor McGonagall, would you please bring Shauna Swirl and the sorting hat up front."

"Here she comes…" Ron whispered in enthusiasm.

When Shauna Swirl came up front of the whole Hogwarts, there was an immediate wave of shock and astonishing tremors all the way through the hall.

Ron was staring at Shauna Swirl, open-mouth and in complete disbelief. "That's not her!" he begged.

Even Hermione appeared as if all her senses were deceiving her especially her sense of sight.

Harry looked at Shauna and she didn't look anything like she did in her picture. Sure, she still had long black hair, along with horribly dyed red, blue, green, orange and purple streaks, that was sticking out in all directions. Her lips were painted with what looked incredibly similar to charcoal. Her eyes were outlined with black eyeliners and shadows, making her look like a monster of the most hideous kind. And to Harry's utter aversion, Shauna was wearing a nose pin.

"That can't be her." Ron exclaimed again.

"It _is_ her!" Hermione managed to say. "Look… she has exactly the same features as she did in the picture."

Harry eyed Shauna more carefully. "Hermione's right. She's the same person…"

Professor McGonagall spoke. "Miss Swirl, would please sit on this stool."

"What you gonna do?" Shauna demanded in punky accent that nearly made Ron faint.

"You have to be sorted. Please sit down."

Shauna did. Just as Professor McGonagall was placing the sorting hat on the newest student, Shauna backed away and exclaimed. "Hey… hey, watch the hair! I spent hours on it bringing it to perfection!"

Professor McGonagall, quite startled, just dumped the hat on Shauna's head.

"Bet you my whole life, that weird witch is going straight to Slytherin." Ron was obviously disgusted with her now.

The sorting hat was taking unusually a long time in deciding in which house to place Shauna. It seemed talking to her, just like it spoke to Harry when he had been sorted six years ago. After what seemed like hours, the sorting hat finally shouted. "Better be… GRYFFINDOR!"

"WHAT?" Ron appeared furious. "How _dare_ the sorting hat put her in our house?"

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat as she took off the sorting hat from Shauna's head and then voiced. "As head of the Gryffindor house, I _request_ you to take off that… that nose ring of yours."

Shauna Swirl looked at her head of house in a defiant and ferocious way. Professor McGonagall stared back in an equally ferocious manner and warned firmly. "Miss Swirl, I truly hope that you do not manage to get yourself expelled after being enrolled into Hogwarts for barely two minutes. And trust me when I say this, because I have a terrible reputation for expelling students who show the tiniest from of disregard or disobedience to their teachers. Now, off with your revolting nose ring!"

Shauna Swirl seemed to think for a second or two and then apparently decided to take off her nose ring without a word as she pocketed it somewhere within her robes.

Professor McGonagall gave the new student a forced smile and said. "Welcome to Hogwarts."

Professor Dumbledore clapped loudly, but almost no one in the Great Hall followed his lead. "Now students, enjoy the dinner feast."

Shauna came sliding towards the Gryffindor table and sat at the very end, well away from Harry and his friends.

Harry was also quite shocked. Shauna had been a sure Slytherin.

"The sorting hat has made a mistake!" declared Ron.

"Perhaps, the hat saw an extremely deep… dormant, or even undeveloped quality in her that it had to put Shauna in our house." Hermione suggested.

"Somehow, I don't think so!" cried out Ron, stealing a glimpse at Shauna. "Evil is written all over her face."

"I think Ron has more a valid argument." Harry was pointing out. "Wormtail was one of the most foulest of all and he was a Gryffindor. I don't know, I guess… once in a while, Gryffindor needs a bad egg or something."

They continued with possible explanations while eating dinner. Suddenly there was a sound of dishes clashing towards where Shauna sat. Neville seemed to have dropped a bowl of chicken curry all over her.

Shauna shot up her chair up in confusion at first, but then an expression of full-hatred evolved on her face. "Ah… how dare you… you scumbag!" She was screaming so loud that the whole school was able to hear. "How dare you ruin my new dress… I mean, my new robes?" The chicken curry was streaming down her new black robes.

Professor McGonagall immediately came to her rescue, as she swooped her wand out and flicked it over Shauna's robes. Instantly, all the mess was cleared up and the stains were gone from her robes.

"Now, settle down you two." Professor McGonagall ordered. "No harm done." She went back to her table and shook her head hopelessly at Professor Dumbledore.

"What happens now?" Hermione asked Ron in a mocking manner. "Do still want to get to know the Great and beautiful… Miss Shauna Swirl?"

Seriously annoyed, Ron exclaimed. "Get off it Hermione! I don't need any of this rubbish from you!"

Hermione's wide smile indicated that she was very much satisfied.

Dinner was over after half an hour, and Harry spoke. "Come on, let's go."

Just as the threesome was leaving, they heard Professor McGonagall's voice behind them. "Miss Granger… I want to have a quick word with you, please."

"I'll join you in the common room." Hermione remarked as she went towards Professor McGonagall.

Fifteen minutes later, Hermione arrived at the Gryffindor common room where Harry and Ron were waiting for her. Her eyes were almost moist with tears but it seemed that anger was overpowering her even more.

"Hermione… what's the matter?" Harry wanted to know, watching her drop on one of the squishy armchairs.

"Oh… the most terrible thing has happened to me!"

"What?" Ron demanded.

Hermione managed to speak. "It's horrible. I'm so angry at McGonagall. You know how Shauna's a muggle and absolutely has no clue about magic. She won't be joining the first years because she's too old. So all the teachers have agreed to give her private lessons and help her catch up as soon as possible."

"So, where's the problem?"

"I have been made her _'official helper'_!" Hermione screamed. "I have to assist her in all the subjects because none of the teachers have much time in their busy schedule. That means I would have to spend time with that… muggle-witch in the library and help her learn all the basics of magic."

"Why didn't you just refuse?" Ron asked.

"I tried, Ron! I swear." explained Hermione. "But McGonagall refused flatly and said how I was a clever model student and how I should be happy to get such an honour."

"Honour, my ass!" Ron blurted out. "Umm… sorry about that. The point is that you don't have to put up with that… thing, if you don't want to!"

"I have no choice." Hermione ran towards her dormitory, wholly angry and disgusted.

Harry sighed. "That's going to be a tough one for her. I think even more challenging than the N.E.W.T.S!"

Ron whole-heartedly agreed and felt sorry for her, even if he had been tremendously cross at her just a few minutes ago. "A fine mess she has gotten herself into because of her… ahem, brains…"

* * *

**(A/N: I promise it's going to get better with more nicer twists. I would like it very much if all of you reviewed. Thank you, everyone!)**


	5. What rats won't do

**------------------------**** CHAPTER**** 5: What rats won't do ------------------------**

"Pass the eggs and bacon, Harry." Ron requested as he took a bite of his toast. "Do you know where Hermione is by the way?"

Harry shook his head. "Haven't seen her all morning. Shauna Swirl must be getting to her."

"McGonagall was totally unfair with Hermione." Ron exclaimed. "That Swirl character looks like a complete punkster to me. An exact opposite to Hermione. I'd reckon that at least one of them is going to kill the other one after this thing."

"Good morning." Hermione quietly said as she took a seat next to Harry.

"How did you sleep?" asked Harry.

Hermione just shrugged. "Not so good, I'm afraid. Been having nightmares about this whole sticky situation."

Ron was inquisitive, "Are you going to do something about it?"

"Well… I had given it quite some thought last night." Hermione was explaining. "And I have come to the conclusion, since I don't have a choice anyway, to give it a shot and see how things turn out. Maybe it won't be THAT bad…"

"Right!" Ron chuckled out loudly.

For the millionth time and just as always, Hermione stared fiercely at Ron. "What's the matter with you? Why do you have to be just impossible with me?" she demanded angrily. "And it's never with Harry!"

Ron's smile instantaneously faded away. "I... That's not always true… I'm mean to Harry as well, sometimes… Aren't I, Harry?"

Harry nodded with agreement. "All the time…"

With a deep sigh, Hermione started her breakfast. At that moment Shauna Swirl entered the Great Hall. Almost everybody stopped and stared at the latest Hogwarts student. She didn't look much different from yesterday. But since the trio of friends was seeing her up close this time, she truly looked more repulsive. Her clear but pale skin didn't at all complement with all that gunk on her face. And her hair looked terrible with all those tinted colours; actually it resembled a badly painted rainbow. She was wearing different sorts of skeleton and dragon rings on all her fingers, and there was a huge gargoyle amulet around her neck.

Shauna was making her way towards before the Gryffindor table, but before she could do so, Draco Malfoy and his hoodlums stopped her.

"So this is the witch-bitch everybody is talking about…" Malfoy snickered, Crabbe and Goyle followed him.

Shauna seemed completely cool and uninterested. "Out of my way…"

But Draco had no intention of doing this. "Somehow, I don't think so. I want to have a little fun with you before I let you go…"

Now, slightly irritated, Shauna warned. "I said… Out of my way, Malfoy!"

He seemed quite impressed. "Oh… so you know my name? That's pretty interesting. But then again, I have a notorious family identify. Actually we are considered…"

"You give me any of that crap… and you can go cram it up your ass." Shauna said unworriedly.

There was a shock on Draco's face, but that didn't stop him from being completely evil. "Oh goody, I'll have a nice and wild kitten to play with from now on!"

Shauna narrowed her eyes. "More like a lioness! And I will tear you to pieces before you can say the word 'play'!"

"I like it!" Draco admitted to Crabbe and Goyle. "I like it… a lot!"

"God!" exclaimed Shauna, sound extremely pissed. "My time is being wasted by a weeny dicked boy…"

That really got Draco Malfoy heated up. "You know what you are… a damned mudblood! And you'll remain that for the rest of your life! But I don't think you know what that means…"

Shaking her head hopelessly at Draco, Shauna passed between him and gorilla-armed Goyle.

Now, Malfoy was at his peak of rage, went after Shauna, grabbed her arm and explained. "Never… walk away from me!"

"Let go of my arm… Malfoy." Shauna said distinctly, making sure Draco heard her every word.

"Objection overruled! And what are you going to do about it?" Draco wanted to know as he applied pressure on her arm and twisted it. "Cry like a little girl?"

"No…" Shauna breathed fire as looked Malfoy directly in the face. "I'm just gonna do this…" She formed her free hand into a fist and struck him hard and unswervingly in the nose.

Malfoy yelled in pain, as he let go of Shauna. She turned to face him and spoke softly. "You can go and complain to any teacher or even the headmaster about this, if you want. I don't mind as it will just prove how cowardly you are. I mean… you were hit by a girl… for heaven's sake!"

"You bitch…" Malfoy managed to exclaim as blood trickled down his mouth.

Fairly satisfied, Shauna pointed out. "Don't even _dare_ to think that you can _play_ with me! And I have a plenty more where that blow on your nose came from." She strangely smiled at him and headed towards the Gryffindor table.

"Wow!" Ron exclaimed. "That was bloody brilliant!"

Harry was also amazed at what he had just seen. "Anyone who can stand up and beat Malfoy, can't be all that bad!"

"Draco certainly does appear to have some competition!" Hermione looked dumbstruck. "And I have to take care of it."

"Hermione… she just beat up Malfoy! She's on our side!" Ron blinked happily.

"Are you mad, Ron?" Hermione seemed furious. "She's definitely not and… she'll beat me up too! And if I don't manage…"

"Don't be daft!"

Hermione eyed him angrily. "I'm going to Gryffindor Tower to collect my things." She stood up and left immediately.

Harry insisted. "Let's go with her."

While walking back, Ron had a confused expression on his face. "It's strange… Shauna looked so different in the photo… very much soft and angelic."

"I wondered what happened to her?" Harry remarked.

"Dunno…" Ron shrugged. "Family problems, drugs and alcohol abuse… maybe she fell in love?"

"In love?" Harry echoed as he laughed out loud. "Love did that to her? I don't think so…"

They reached the Gryffindor Tower, and upon entering the common room, they saw Hermione with a bundle of books in her hand.

"Alright..." she stated as she started to leave Gryffindor Common room. "I better go and do my 'honour student' duties. I'll meet you in two hours…"

"Hermione, wait…" Harry called after her. "Why don't Ron and I… how shall I put it... 'assist' you in your job."

"What do you mean?" she wanted to know.

"He's saying…" Ron explained. "… that we'll keep you company while you deal with… she-who-must-not-be-named!"

"You mean, Shauna?" Hermione wondered fairly amused.

Ron, at once, put his hands over his hears and shouted. "Ouch! Stop that Hermione! Her name's even worse than Voldemort's."

Hermione's eyes widened with surprise, but she seemed impressed with Ron. "Are you sure that you two want to spend the rest of this wonderful Saturday morning with me and… that snake oil witch?"

"Of course." exclaimed Harry. "I think after six years of friendship, we owe you that much."

She seemed quite grateful. "Thanks a lot. I could really use some defenses around her. Do you remember her last night… when she yelled like that at poor Neville. I swear, his face was beet red with shame. And what about right now with Draco…"

"Hmm… Hermione's right!" Ron was speculating. "… that Malfoy may have some competition here."

"Or…" Harry dreaded. "She might team up with him, and make Hogwarts an unbearable place to study."

"That'd be horrible!" Hermione cried out, but then shook her head. "Come on, Professor McGonagall said that she and Shauna would be waiting outside the library. I wish good luck to all of us."

All three of them departed the Gryffindor common room and made their way towards the Hogwart's Giant Library. True to her word, Professor McGonagall was waiting up front with Shauna. "Ah… there comes Miss Granger. I hope she can help you become more familiar with Hogwarts and enlighten you a bit about magic."

Shauna Swirl sneered. Hermione nervously smiled at her and offered a handshake.

Crudely staring at Hermione's hand, Shauna made a face. "No thanks, I just polished my nails."

Extremely embarrassed, Hermione pulled back her hand and stared down at the floor.

"Well…" Professor McGonagall seemed worried, as it was quite clear that she had never come across an obstacle like Shauna. "I hope you can learn something useful Shauna." With that, the professor left.

Shauna snorted and she observed Professor McGonagall leaving. "She looks like such a old hag to me."

Ron cleared his throat.

Straight away, Shauna turned towards Harry and Ron as if noticing them for the first time. "And who might these losers be?"

Hermione was hesitant. "This is Harry Potter…" she pointed at him. "And Ron Weasley…"

"Hmmm… Weasley, you say?" Shauna seemed slightly amused. She scooped a pack of chewing gums out of her pocket and popped one in her mouth. "Any relation to Arthur Weasley…?"

Ron answered after some time, "He's my dad."

Smirking out loud, Shauna exclaimed. "I should have known! All with blazing red hair!" she chuckled and recalled one of her memories. "I once had red hair like yours as well."

"You did?" Ron was surprised.

But Shauna wasn't laughing anymore. "Yeah… it was a horrible dye-job and it totally ruined my style. Mind you, but I had kicked the hairdressing chap right in the balls."

"Oh…"

Shauna's voice lowered down to a slow, mocking tone. "I have met your whole family… Ron Weasley, at the Burrow. I would say they're quite an… interesting lot, wouldn't you?"

Now Ron was really getting uncomfortable. "I…"

"Yes…" Shauna went on in a sarcastic manner. "Very interesting… there are so many of you! Wow, what a handful! Your mother must always be quite busy…"

"Why were you at the Burrow?" Ron wanted to know.

"Actually I stayed there for quite a while… about three days. Your father seemed to think it was a good idea that I get acquainted with your lot. Ooops…" Shauna snickered realized what she had just said. "What am I saying? Unfortunately, I am one of you, now!"

Ronald Weasley did not seem to like this at all.

"Want me to go on?" Shauna asked innocently when she noticed Ron's tight expression. "I slept in your sister's bedroom. It was very much like… I'd rather not say it, it might offend you. Where is she, by the way? I haven't seen a redhead around at Hogwarts…"

This time Ron's, Hermione's and Harry's hearts crumpled as grief lined their faces. Shauna didn't appear to realize about Ginny Weasley at all as she continued. "And your brothers were… ahem… especially those nasty twins and their jokes! They couldn't get enough playing their dirty little pranks on me. So when I gave them a special dose of my medicine… God! It was hilarious… they wouldn't come out of their rooms…" Shauna was doubling over with laughter.

Harry, nor Hermione or Ron knew where all of this was leading towards.

"And if I were to describe them…" But she stopped, turned towards Ron's mortified face and grimaced. "Oh… have I scared the little whittle baby?" With that, she burst out laughing at her supposedly funny joke.

Harry was getting completely furious and it was time for him to stand up against Shauna. "Why don't you just shut your mouth about the Weasleys and let Hermione finish this vile task?"

Shauna's face curled into the deepest anger as she rounded on Harry. "So… you think I'm vile… Mr. Potter? That seems a bit fresh coming from you…"

But Harry didn't back off. "Hermione doesn't have time to waste with the likes of you. Consequently, I believe we should get this over as soon as possible, so we wouldn't be obliged to look at your hideous mug."

Shauna looked as if she was momentarily shocked, but then she thought otherwise. With one swift movement, she grabbed Harry's shirt collar and pinned him against the wall. "You listen to me, Poopy Potter and you listen to me good." She was definitely shorter than Harry but seemed to possess a reasonably powerful force. Face to face with Harry, she warned him. "I take shit from no one… especially from boys with lightning bolt tattoos on their forehead!" She let go of Harry and then faced Hermione. "Bull McGonagall and what she says. I'm going solo…"

Harry was fuming. He pulled out his wand and yelled. "_Locomotor Mortis_!" A red blaze shot out from the it, directly towards Shauna as it hit at her. She screamed just as her legs locked together and she crashed down to the floor.

"What did you do to me?" Shauna demanded him as she tried pulling her legs apart. "Undo this, you…"

"Lets' go back to Gryffindor tower!" Harry declared as he turned to leave.

"Wait…" Hermione objected. "You can't leave her like this…"

"Yes I can." insisted Harry. "Let her figure this one out for herself." He said nothing more and disappeared round the corner.

Hermione faced Ron to see his reaction. "Harry's completely right!" He was now facing Shauna with anger scorching out of his eyes. "If she can 'comment' about my family, then I can, without a doubt, leave her like this." Then he stalked off as well.

She twisted in the direction of Shauna and exclaimed. "Fine! I'll help her…" Hermione bend down and took out her wand.

"I don't need your help." Shauna growled.

"Don't worry… it won't hurt. I don't know the exact counter-course to this, but I'll try my best..."

"I said… I don't need your help!" It was a incredibly stern command.

"But…"

"Leave me alone!" Shauna's face was a puffing dragon.

Hermione looked at her for a second terribly confused, stood up and walked away. She turned round the bend but stopped to calm herself down before she went on. Leaning against the wall, Hermione put her face in her hands. She could just hear punky witch struggling with her legs, as Shauna cried out. "God! That didn't go very well."

Hermione heard a swoosh of a wand and then the words from Shauna's lips. "_Laxo__ Colligo_!" There was a rustling sound and next, Shauna seemed to be back on her feet, because she was saying. "Oh… that's a relief! And who does that Potter think he is, anyway?"

Hermione quickly made a dash for the exit when she heard Shauna coming in her direction. Minutes later, she was back inside the Gryffindor common room, thinking. It was very strange, Hermione herself didn't know the counter course to the leg-binding spell. So how come, a muggle-witch like Shauna, did?

-------------------------------------------------------------

(A/N: How is the story going so far? How's Shauna's character? Please read and review…)


	6. In the Whirlpool Again

**------------------------**** CHAPTER 6: In the Whirlpool Again ------------------------******

_You cannot quit me so quickly  
Is no hope in you for me?  
No corner you could squeeze me  
But I've got all the time for you, love_

_The Space Between  
The tears we cry  
Is the laughter keeps us coming back for more_

_The Space Between  
The wicked lies we tell  
And hope to keep us safe from the pain_

_But will I hold you again…?_

-----------------------------------------------

Harry Potter was thrashing wildly in his sleep…

_Lord Voldemort stood before him. "Ah… Harry, I'm extremely glad you have decided to accept my offer."_

_"Where is she…?" Harry demanded, flames blasting from his eyes._

_"That will be dealt later." Lord Voldemort informed. "I would like to discuss other important matters, at the moment."_

_They were alone in the __Forbidden__Forest__. But just minutes earlier, Harry had been eating his dinner with the Dursleys._

_"No!" shouted Harry. "I want to see Hermione, now!"_

_Lord Voldemort raised his eyebrow, and sneered. "I swear, I wish I could find the trace of evil inside of you and then let it intensify till no good is left within you. You will subsequently become a great asset to me." _

_"I haven't come to play games with you!" Harry was shouting with anger. "Hand over Hermione, right now!"_

_Lord Voldemort heaved an evil sigh and spoke. "If you insist…" With a wave of his wand and some charmed words that Harry was unable to hear, Hermione instantly apparated in front of them. Her hands were magically tied together. _

_"Now I want my part of the bargain." insisted Lord Voldemort._

_"Alright… but I want Hermione by my side at first."_

_"I don't trust you… Potter!" _

_Harry reasoned. "You have my word… my word upon a mother I always will love…"_

_Twisting his head towards Hermione, Lord Voldemort gave a flick with his wand and Hermione was immediately released. She ran towards Harry and threw her arms around him and burst in tears. "Oh Harry…"_

_"Hermione…" Harry was saying as he took out a pen from his pocket. "It's a portkey to the Burrow. Ron gave it to me, just for fun. Use it to get to the Weasleys. Now!"_

_"What about you?" Hermione wanted to know. "Lord Voldemort wants you dead."_

_"Just go!" Harry ordered as he twisted the cap and then shoved the pen in Hermione's hand. Moments later, she was gone. _

_Lord Voldemort approached Harry, grabbed him and pulled him closer to his stench face. "Strong willed boy, just like your father. I will have the exact same pleasure killing you as I did when I destroyed your parents fifteen years ago. Say goodbye to your existence…" He raised his wand._

_Harry closed his eyes as a single tear trickled down his cheek. He was going to die…_

_"You will not!" _

_Harry turned and he was looking at Professor Dumbledore. "Riddle… let go of Harry!"_

_"That person died years ago, Albus!" Voldemort retorted. "He no longer exists but I, __Lord Voldemort, do."_

_"I said, let go of the boy!" Dumbledore repeated raising his wand._

_"Never!"_

_"_Stupefy!_" Dumbledore yelled, as a white flashed soared towards Voldemort. He easily dodged away from Dumbledore's spell but had to let go of Harry in the process. _

_Harry immediately took out his wand and shouted. "_Pulsatus Morbus!_" _

_The Dark Lord, without delay, weakened and __fell reflexively__ onto the muddy ground beneath him._

_"Harry!" Dumbledore was warning him. "There's not much time…" With his wand, Dumbledore sliced open a portal through the air. "This will take you to the Weasleys… hurry!"_

_"But…" _

_Dumbledore grasped hold of Harry's arm and pushed him inside the gateway. The next thing Harry remembered was crashing at the front step of the Burrow._

_"Harry!" It was Ron. "You're bloody alright!" Then in a louder voice, he call out. "Harry's here and he's okay!" _

_Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, plus the rest of the family ran outside the house towards him. _

_Mr. Weasley stammered. "H... Harry, are you alright? What happened out there with Voldemort? Hermione just turned up minutes ago, terribly shaken."_

_Harry was too dumbfounded to speak. _

_"Harry dear…" Mrs. Weasley requested with tears in her eyes. "Hermione briefed us about what happened. The Aurors from the Ministry of Magic will be arriving any moment." She was trying to make him feel safe._

_Ron tried. "You're not dead, Harry. Everything is going to be fine."_

_"Dumbledore was fighting him…" Harry finally managed to speak._

_"What?" Mr. Weasley was traumatized, and then he realized what was bothering Harry. "It's okay… not to worry Harry. Professor Dumbledore is ten times stronger than Voldemort. Nothing's going to happen to him."_

_"I… I…" Harry was chocking as tears washed down of his eyes._

_"Ginny…" Mr. Weasley ordered his daughter. "Go get Harry a glass of water."_

_With a slight nod but with no words, Ginny ran inside the house at once._

_"Where's Hermione…?" Harry demanded._

_"We disapparated her to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries." Percy Weasley informed. "She's going to be okay…"_

_"Right on!" Fred spoke._

_"Well said, Fred." George followed with an unusual smile._

_"Harry…" Mrs. Weasley took him in her big inviting arms and tried to soothe him. "Everything is going to be alright, I promise…" _

_All of a sudden, there was a sound of a deafening explosion from inside the Burrow and then everybody heard these simple words from Lord Voldemort's mouth. "_AVADA KEDAVRA_!"_

_"No!" Arthur Weasley's face crumpled in terror. "Ginny…" _

He woke up with a piercing scream. Sweat trickled down his face and Harry gasped for some oxygen. It happened again after a long time… and Harry wasn't sure he'd be able to handle it this time. Why did he dream about Ginny's death again?

The despair that Harry had tried to bury for so long, was surfacing yet again in his heart. It was because of him that the Weasleys had no daughter anymore. It will be always because of him that Ginny will never return.

He could never forget her beautiful face. She had been so gentle and lovely. Kindness was one of her innumerous traits. How could such a charming person fail to exist in this world? Why did Harry have to steal her soul?

Harry cried. He cried until utterly no pleasant emotion was left inside of him.

-------------------------------------------------------

"Harry… you look terrible!" Ron remarked when he saw him in his bed. "What's the matter?"

At once, Harry gave an effort to perk himself up. "Nothing… just didn't sleep well last night."

"Come on." Ron muttered. "Some boys want to play a quick game of Quidditch with the Slytherins."

"No… I'm not in the mood." Harry claimed.

"Harry…" Ron raised his eyebrows. "You're turning down an opportunity to play Quidditch with the Slytherins?"

"Yes I am…" Harry was firm. "I think I'll go start the Potions assignment. Snape's going to grind my bones if…"

"You'll be alone then." pointed out Ron. "Even Hermione's gone."

"Where?"

"Can you believe it?" Ron exclaimed with an unmanageable expression. "She still insists that she help that… Swirl sham!"

"What?" Even Harry was quite surprised. "Why did she do that?"

Ron shook his head. "Dunno. You know Hermione… she always has a soft spot for everyone."

"And you let her go alone?" Harry demanded.

"I tried to convince her that I should come along." Ron revealed. "But she was so persistent and wouldn't agree. Said a lot of bull about how she was going to do this all by herself…"

"She shouldn't have…" Harry determined.

"I know…" Ron had the same opinion. "But who cares… Let's go and play Quidditch."

Harry eyed Ron and spoke. "I told you that I don't feel like going…"

"Is something wrong?" Ron was beginning to suspect.

"No!" Harry exclaimed. "I just don't feel very good. Probably something I ate last night. You go along and win one for Gryffindor… okay?"

Ron appeared convinced. "All right! But take some rest. We have loads of important classes tomorrow." With that, he left the dormitory.

Harry was alone now; he needed some time to himself. He wondered where Ginny would be at this moment and whether she had met his parents yet. He wrestled his conscious to decide whether he should die as well and join the people he loved most in the world. Maybe death was the only way from him to finally conquer peace…

For several hours Harry thought about Ginny and her death. And every time he imagined it, he wished that he could alter some few things so that Ginny wouldn't have been killed by Lord Voldemort. Maybe if Ginny hadn't gone into the Burrow… alone. Maybe if had tried to kill Voldemort in the forbidden forest. Maybe, if Harry had died when Lord Voldemort tried to murder him at Godrics' Hollow fifteen years ago…

"Harry… Ron!" someone was banging on the door. "Are you in there?"

It was Hermione. Harry hesitated at first… he didn't want to talk to anyone. But then he thought again. "Hold on… I'm coming." He got up from his bed, walked straight to the door and opened it.

Hermione was in tears. "Harry…"

"What's wrong?" Harry was worried. "Why are you crying?"

"Harry…" Hermione croaked between sobs. "That Shauna Swirl is so nasty! I don't think I can stand her any longer…"

"What did she do to you?" Harry wanted to know.

"We were in the library and it was going good enough at first…" Hermione admitted. "And I seriously was thinking that there may be some residue of humanness in her. But then she got all malicious and wicked, and she attacked me…"

"What?" Harry was furious. "How dare she even touch you? Where is she now, Hermione? I think I should give her a piece of my…"

"No… No!" Hermione was saying. "I meant that she attacked me verbally."

"Oh…"

"Yes…" Hermione mumbled sadly.

"Why don't you go to McGonagall and tell her that you don't want to work with Swirl anymore!" Harry demanded her.

Hermione's eyes widened. "I can't do that!"

"Why not?" exclaimed Harry. "Just convey the truth and… McGonagall will surely let you off."

"But… I don't want to!"

"Are you nutters, Hermione?" Harry accused. "Why on earth would you _not_ want to leave this despicable job?"

Hermione was shaking. "I can't explain it…"

Harry was getting angry. "Then why did you run to me for?"

"She was really mean, Harry…"

"And still you want to continue to help her." Harry was fuming. "Maybe Ron's right. You are completely mad!"

"Fine…" Anger was creeping onto Hermione's face. "Side with Ron… I can take care of myself." She gave Harry a very unpleasant look and stalked away from the dormitory.

---------------------------------------------------

(A/N: The opening verses of this chapter is from the song - "The Space Between" by Dave Matthews Band. It has a very deep meaning in the story, because someone is thinking them. You'll find out later who it is… plz REVIEW and Thanks!)


	7. Enough

**------------------------ CHAPTER**** 7: Enough ------------------------**

Weeks had passed, and Hogwarts finally started the 'new & improved' Defense Against the Dark Arts classes. In fact, there were three different DADA classes instead of being one. The first were Theory Lessons, where everybody was taught advanced & powerful spells and enchantments. It was headed by (no one would believe it at first) the very Professor McGonagall. The second were Practical lessons where students were instructed with some very dark spells, plus their effects and how to block or revert them. Many boggarts were moved in for this purpose. An Auror from the Ministry of Magic, Sammie Wacker was handed this job. The third, and the far most interesting class were the Obstacle Course lessons, where students had to physically tackle various dark objects or evil people (posed by the boggarts). There was also a time limit for them. Professor Dumbledore himself saw to it, that his students were trained as much there is to learn about dark Magic.

For the millionth time Harry Potter was trying to get on with his life. However, it was being wholly difficult as hours of darkness haunted him with nightmares about Ginny Weasley and Lord Voldemort almost every night. Harry's guilt was evolving all over again and it was slowly consuming all his willpower and strength.

Sure, on the exterior he was radiating joy and delight. But what nobody (that included Ron and Hermione; they were as usual at each others' throats) was noticing how Harry's heart was plunging deeper into sadness and regret and was little by little, destroying him. Sometimes, Harry would dangerously question about… ending his life.

Just one thing stopped him from doing so - the muggle-witch. Now, there was a reason for Harry to live, to rid the world of wicked people like Shauna Swirl. That girl was utterly despicable and Harry hated her almost as much as he detested Voldemort. If she were to be placed side by side with Draco Malfoy, he would appear as an angel of love and hope. But Draco was still Draco, and he had tried everything from curses to catfights to torture her (It never worked, though).

And since Shauna was a Gryffindor, she had made Harry, Hermione and Ron's life much more difficult as they had to face her almost all the time. She hadn't managed to make a single friend in all this time at Hogwarts and Shauna took out her anger out by hounding on others. Even the teachers seemed to be slightly irritated with her.

Due to some bizarre reason, Hermione, in spite of everything, continued with her task to assist Shauna. Almost everyday, she would slip off the library and come back either very angry or teary-eyed. Though, she stopped complaining to Ron and Harry about it, they still could see that Hermione was not very pleased at all.

It was a sunny Thursday afternoon and threesome was going to visit Hagrid.

"Have you heard the rumors…?" Ron began as the trio of friends headed outside towards the Hogwarts grounds. "…that there's going to be some kind of party in a couple of weeks?"

"You mean… something like that Yule Ball we had in the fourth year?" Hermione put in.

"No." Ron shook his head. "I'm not exactly sure of the occasion. But mum had mentioned something big going on in the Ministry in her letter."

"What does that have to do with the party?" Harry was confused.

Ron looked around and signaled his friends to come closer. "Yeah… don't tell this to anyone and it hasn't been made official yet. But, mum was saying that Cornelius Fudge has been sacked as the Minister of Magic."

"What?" Hermione screamed so loudly that people around them began to stare. She nervously smiled and picked up her pace. "Why?"

"Of all the people, I'm surprised you're asking this." Ron remarked as he eyed Hermione. "Everybody knows Cornelius Fudge is a pea brain. He knows absolutely nothing and refuses to take Voldemort's threats seriously. People were getting scared and in view of the fact that Fudge was doing nothing about it, they just chucked him out."

"So who's going to be the new Minister?" Harry was curious.

Ron shrugged. "I dunno. They might ask Dumbledore again, but I don't think he would agree."

"Oh…" Hermione realized. "So Hogwarts will be having this party to honour the new Minister of Magic. Interesting…"

"Yeah…" Ron added happily. "And dad's position had been upgraded in his department. He's now the third-in-command after the Minister of Magic post. Mum seemed extremely pleased."

"That's great Ron!" Harry exclaimed as he turned to face Ron, but still kept on walking. "He completely deserves it. I haven't met anyone who can do…" He never got the chance to finish his sentence, because at that moment Harry knocked right into someone and crashed down on the ground, entangling himself with the paradoxical phantom he ran into.

It was Shauna Swirl. "Are you stone-blind?" she roared, making a hard effort to separate herself from Harry. "Get off of me…"

Harry was seriously trying to achieve this, but there were couple of pushes and thrusts from both, that made it impossible for them to get free.

Ron came over and tried to pull Harry up and he finally managed after some time. But to Ron's horror, he cried out. "Oh no… I have touched that… filthy witch."

Shauna also hauled herself up, her colored hair went loose and her face was flushing with great annoyance. Extremely crossed she faced Ron. "I'm the one who's filthy? How dare you say something like that… you little carrot…"

"Little?" Ron demanded as he towered over her. Truly he was inches taller than Shauna. "Let's see how little I am…" He began to roll up his sleeves as if to prepare for a fight.

"No… Ron." Harry pulled Ron back. "Just leave it."

Shauna cried out, amused and surprised. "What? I thought I'd never see that day where the famous Harry Potter would try to back out from a fight."

Harry pretended to not have heard this. "Come on, we haven't visited Hagrid in ages. Why don't we…"

"Some hero…" Shauna went on. "I really can't believe that people in this world can be such chickens. Mr. Harry Potter here, seemed to have defeated the Dark Lord many times, but isn't able to face a nice girl like me."

"Harry…" Ron was mad. "She needs a good thrashing…"

But Harry grabbed him and was stalking off.

Shauna didn't seem to have any intentions to stop. "What's the matter, Poopy Potter? Scared that I might kill you instead of the _great_ You-Know-Who himself?"

That was it! Shauna Swirl had stepped on disturbed waters and needed a personal lesson from Harry. Fury erupted inside of him just like lava inside a boiling volcano as Harry turned around and tore towards her with his fists raised in mid-air.

Fear clouded Shauna's face, who was completely not expecting anything like this, backed off as Harry advanced on her and swung his arm towards her face. She reacted instantly, twisting her head to the side then tried to get hold of Harry's wild arm. "What the hell do you think you're doing…?"

But Harry was nowhere near finished with her. He seized her robes and shoved her to the ground. "I think this is exactly what you want…" Nobody had ever seen him so filled with such temper. He trapped Shauna under him and made a grab for her neck.

Students were beginning to notice what was happening and in seconds were gathering all around them.

"Harry…" Hermione was shocked and frightened, with hot tears in her eyes. "Please stop it…"

He wasn't going to listen to anyone.

"Ron…" Hermione turned and begged. "Do something…"

However, Ron was transfixed in one place, very much stunned as anyone. "I…"

"FIGHT! FIGHT!" The students were screaming. "Bash her, Harry!"

"GET OFF ME…" Shauna demanded heatedly, but it was also apparent that she was frightened to death. She clutched both of Harry's hands so as to stop him from strangling her. "I said… GET OFF OF ME…"

"But I thought you liked it." Harry was steaming. "To show how strong you are. Come on; show me what you can do…"

Shauna threw her elbow into his jaw. Letting out a cry, Harry immediately rolled off her. On all fours, Shauna made an attempt to scamper away from Harry. But she was seized by the legs and hoisted backwards. Then Harry jumped on her again, and in a ball of flaying limbs the two of them rolled towards the Ron and Hermione.

Hermione shouted and scuttled back, as Harry almost knocked her down. She couldn't do anything except plead. "Harry… You're hurting her!"

"Damn right I am!" Harry shouted as he snapped Shauna's head back.

"Enough!" screamed Shauna as she raised her right knee with all her might, and belted Harry where she knew it would hurt him the most - right between his legs.

Harry doubled over with pain and in an instant, he was rolling off of her. That gave Shauna the chance to fully stand up and back away. Her forehead was bleeding and there seemed to be bruises all over her arms. She was gasping for air and she, too had tears in her eyes.

"What's going on here?" demanded a voice. Professor McGonagall appeared and put her hand to her mouth when she realized what had happened. "Mr. Potter… I don't believe it! Never in my life…" Then she turned to Shauna. "Fighting like the devil you are! I'm pretty sure you provoked Harry…"

Shauna couldn't believe this. "He tried to kill me!"

"Of course, and you would certainly die!" Professor McGonagall was immensely angry. "But you still managed to survive, how surprising!" she paused and then said. "Nevertheless, I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will know how to deal with both of you…."

"But Professor …" Ron began, "It wasn't Harry's fault…"

"I don't care who started it." declared Professor McGonagall. "Both of you will be taken to the Headmaster… follow me NOW!"

Ron helped his best friend up. Harry had also suffered the consequences of fighting with Shauna. His left arm was severely cut and drops of blood were dripping down from the left side of his mouth.

Silently Shauna and Harry trailed behind Professor McGonagall. Few minutes later, they were both seated in Professor Dumbledore's office, waiting and trying to avoid each other's gazes.

The Hogwart's Headmaster came soon enough and exclaimed calmly when saw them. "Ah… I haven't seen scratches like those in over fifty years."

Shauna's eyes widened with surprise at that remark.

"But…" Professor Dumbledore was explaining. "Fighting should be saved for the evil…"

"That witch is pure evil!" Harry blurted out with anger. "She shouldn't have said all those things about me. She had absolutely no…"

Professor Dumbledore raised his right hand and Harry instantly stopped. "Harry… evil shows its face in many ways. But I can assure you that Miss Swirl here is not evil. Am I right… Shauna?"

She looked up at the Hogwarts headmaster in an eerie conduct but said not a word.

"I will take your silence as a 'yes', Miss Swirl." Professor Dumbledore uttered. "But I must insist that both of you must realize the seriousness of your mistakes. Fighting is never the answer and only foul souls prefer to do this."

"Are you going to expel us?" Harry wanted to know.

"No Harry…" replied Professor Dumbledore. "But your punishments will be enough." He waved his wand in circles as smoked trailed out of it. "Professor McGonagall, would you please come in."

She was in the office after a few seconds.

"I will leave you in charge of Harry Potter and his sentence." Professor Dumbledore instructed her. "But I will deal with Miss Swirl personally. You may take Mr. Potter now. I wish to speak with Shauna Swirl alone, please."

When Harry and Professor McGonagall were out of the headmaster's office she frowned. "I didn't expect you to fight like this… Potter."

Harry shook his head. "I hate her. She's even worse than Malfoy."

For some eccentric reason, McGonagall agreed. "Yes… That girl has given us nothing but trouble since she arrived at Hogwarts. Actually it's quite surprising that Shauna was sorted into Gryffindor. And she certainly has been the most difficult of the lot…"

"Can't something be done about it?"

"I'm afraid not." Professor McGonagall stated as she looked at him. "Go to Madam Pomfrey. I think that witch did quite some damage to you. You'll receive your detention later." With that she left.

Harry slowly walked towards the hospital wing. His whole body was still aching especially his crotch where Shauna had hit him last and the hardest. And because of her, Harry was going to get some severe detention, but it was going to be worth it. Because next time, Shauna Swirl will try to do something like this, she would have to think twice before cracking cruel remarks about him or Ron.

**-------------------------------------------------------------**

(A/N: Lots of reviews plz… The party will be coming soon and everyone will have to pick their partners.)


	8. Unwanted Feelings

**------------------------****CHAPTER 8: Unwanted Feelings ------------------------**

"I wasn't trying to kill her!" Harry exploded angrily.

"Yes you were!" insisted Hermione throwing her arms in the air. "You were going to strangle Shauna yesterday!"

"No! You're all wrong! I was just…"

But Ron cut in, "We all know that Shauna is a bitch! But you shouldn't have attempted to take her life!"

It was the morning after that drastic fight, and all three of them were in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom - not merely discussing the incident.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Harry almost screamed at Ron. "I wasn't trying to kill her. I just got so furious when she mentioned Voldemort that I had to teach her a lesson. And don't you remember, she was begging for a fight."

"No Harry, she wasn't…" Hermione exclaimed. "Shauna was just trying to get on your nerves. Didn't you see the look on her face when you jumped on her and attacked? She clearly wasn't expecting you to… "

"Like that person can show any emotion except for abhorrence…" snapped Harry.

"Did you have to go for her neck…?" Ron wanted to know.

"I was only trying to scare her." Harry put in plain words. "She was getting completely out of hand. Everywhere we go; she turns up and attacks our dignity."

"But…" Hermione started.

"No… just listen!" Harry growled as he faced Hermione. "I really wasn't planning on harming her. I don't know… my anger took over me, yesterday and I thought… that maybe I gave her a dose of her own medicine, then she would leave us alone!"

"What's going on here?"

The threesome looked up and saw Moaning Myrtle zooming above them as she demanded. "Why are you all shouting?"

Harry was not in the mood to talk any sulking spirits. "Go away Myrtle!"

"Of course!" she mumbled irritably. "Who would want to talk to me? Just because I'm dead doesn't mean that I'm not important, anymore!"

"Myrtle! This is none of your business." Ron cried out. "Now, leave us alone."

"Alright, I will!" Moaning Myrtle added, "Well, I do hope you bring Shauna into this bathroom, Harry."

All three of them looked extremely puzzled for a few moments.

"Why would you want Harry to bring Shauna here…?" Hermione finally asked.

"Then I'll have a ghost mate, that is, after when Harry kills her!" With that, Moaning Myrtle flew away.

"Lovely!" Harry gave a sarcastic remark. "Even Myrtle knows about it now!" Then he turned to face Ron and Hermione. "Look, you two are my best friends, and I would never lie to you. Just because I appeared angry and well… murderous - doesn't mean I was going to kill Shauna."

Hermione just shrugged and Ron turned way.

"I don't believe you two!" exclaimed Harry, not trusting his eyes. "Alright… fine! I don't care what you think anymore!" He glanced quickly at his wrist watch. "I have to go to detention, anyway! I'm leaving!"

"See, this is what you get when you break the rules…" Hermione lectured in a restless tone. "Attacking people is not the way to defend yourself. And because you did just that… you will have to spend hours in detention, doing God-knows-what unearthly tasks."

Harry was staring her open mouthed, and in complete distrust. "What's wrong with you? I have been shouting this for the hundredth time that… it was worth my whole life teaching that tramp a lesson. It's even worth it… if McGonagall tells me to clean Snape's toilet!" He started to head for the door.

"Harry…" Ron began.

Harry just turned around, and spoke in a sarcastic manner. "Enjoy your time at Hogsmeade." He left Ron and Hermione in the bathroom alone and advanced furiously towards Professor McGonagall's office.

Walking along the hallways and corridors, Harry couldn't stop thinking about his conversation with his two best friends. Why wouldn't Ron and Hermione believe him? Was he really going to kill Shauna…?

No! Of course not! Harry did loathe her massively, but he would never take her life!

He reached Professor McGonagall's office in three minutes. Harry was about to knock on her door, when he heard a voice from inside the office. "Yes Potter… you can come in now."

He slowly opened the door and stepped inside, wondering exactly what kind of punishment he will get.

Professor McGonagall looked up at him from her desk and said. "Well… it's nice to see that you got here on time."

Harry raised his eyebrows at her.

"It seems to me that your partner in crime hasn't showed up, as yet." Professor McGonagall claimed as he raised her glasses.

"What?" Harry cried out in horror. "That witch isn't serving detention with me… is she?"

"Of course not, Potter." remarked Professor McGonagall. "Believe it as you may, but I still cherish lives of students at Hogwarts."

Feeling extremely embarrassed, Harry muttered. "What do I have to do?"

"Some house points would have to be taken off, I'm afraid." The Professor sighed. "Fifty… to be exact!"

"Fifty….?"

"Yes, Potter. Now let's see… where is it?" Professor McGonagall shuffled through a stack of papers and pulled out a detention slip. "There was a small explosion yesterday in Professor's Snape's class. I think he was teaching the third years how to brew the Polyjuice potion, and something went terribly wrong. A student's cauldron exploded and sent splotches of the potion all over the class. Now, Potter you…"

Harry didn't have to think twice. "… have to scrub the dungeons spotlessly clean."

"Precisely. And without any magic." She looked at him sternly under those glasses. "So if you please… hand over your wand now."

"I'm not going to…." He began.

"I insist, Potter."

Harry sighed as pulled out his wand and passed to Professor McGonagall.

"I suggest you get started now, because you have to be finished before the students arrive back from their Hogsmeade trip." Then the Professor added. "You can collect your wand then."

Harry took the detention slip from the professor and went in the direction of the door. He heard Professor McGonagall say behind him. "I imagine it must be hard for you as anger ran in your family, but do try controlling that temper of yours, Potter."

Smiling meekly at her, Harry immediately went towards Professor Snape's class in the dungeons. When he arrived, Harry could have died.

The most sickening smell tormented him, as blobs of the Polyjuice Potion were smeared all over the walls, the furniture and… at Snape's desk. It was going to be a long afternoon, and Harry was going to dread every moment of it.

**------------------------------------------------------------**

It took exactly four hours and twenty one minutes to clear off all the traces of the Polyjuice Potion. And by that time, Harry was terribly exhausted. All he wanted to was head back to his dormitory, sprawl on his bed and go to sleep for a million years. After climbing out of the dungeons, Harry swiftly made his way towards the Gryffindor Tower while silently reminding himself that he needed to collect his wand from Professor McGonagall first thing in the morning. He was about to turn about one of the corners of a hallway, when he heard the sound of a plaintive plea. "Please don't…"

Immediately, Harry stopped at the bend and strained silently closer to see what was happening. There was Draco Malfoy and a girl whom Harry recognized as Jenna Parker, a shy, but very attractive fourth year Ravenclaw.

"Come on…" Draco was saying, mockingly. "I know… you want it from me."

Harry saw that Jenna had tears of terror in her eyes. "Let me go… please."

Draco had her cornered against a wall as he loomed over Jenna. "You are going to give me many pleasures…" With that, he grabbed Jenna's small waist and pulled her to his chest. "Come on… it won't hurt…"

"No…"

Draco crushed his lips against hers. Jenna gave a small, but worthy effort to push him away, but Draco kept her tightly in his arms as he devoured her. He then started kissing her nape right down to her shoulders.

"Stop it!" Jenna was now screaming as she struggled, trying her best to get away from him. "Stop it… NOW!"

"Don't try to fight it…" Draco said casually as ripped open her shirt. "You'll love it when I'm through with you."

Jenna screamed for help.

Right that moment, fresh rage gushed inside of Harry with an absolute aversion for Draco Malfoy. Since, he didn't have his wand with him, Harry would have to use muggle dueling. He was just about to round on Malfoy when he caught a glimpse of a shadowy figure suddenly appearing behind Jenna and her assailant. For the second time, Harry stopped dead in his tracks, and moved back into the concealed place.

That shadowed form belonged to non other than Shauna Swirl.

She silently approached Malfoy from the back, with an amused smile forming on her face. "Enjoying… aren't we Malfoy?"

Draco immediately turned around as panic creased his face. Jenna was still under him, with half of her clothes off by now.

"Oh it's… you." Draco managed to say. "I was just…"

Shauna raised her hand. "No need to explain anything… I completely understand what you are trying to do."

"What?" Draco looked as if he was stunned.

"A man needs to enjoy himself like this from time to time." Shauna was clarifying. "I read about it in a magazine when I was living in London."

Beneath Draco, Jenna was begging. "Please help me…"

"Help you?" An evil sort of laugh escaped from Shauna's lips. "You want me to help you?"

Jenna, who couldn't believe what she had just heard, almost fainted with apprehension when Shauna refused to some to her rescue.

Draco was quite surprised with Shauna's new 'side'. "Well, it seems to me that we have more in common than I thought."

Shauna was nodding her head in agreement. "Yes, we probably do. Maybe we should talk about it…"

"I'm kinda busy at the moment." Draco motioned his head towards Jenna. "Let me finish with her first."

"Oh right!" Shauna exclaimed. "I'm so sorry. I'll let you carry on and leave now. Enjoy…" She almost turned to leave, but then thought again. "Draco… do you want me give an excellent tip concerning… what you're doing right now?"

He seemed eager. "What is it?"

Shauna was grinning mischievously and she moved towards Draco. "Well… it goes quite like this…" Abruptly, she grabbed Draco's collar and rammed him against the far side of the wall. He crashed into it, hard and fell on the floor.

"What the hell…?" it was an appalled cry from Draco.

All of sudden, Shauna's face transformed from a pleased expression to one that resembled full fury. "You love playing games with people… don't you Malfoy?"

"What's wrong with you, bitch?" Draco hauled himself up angrily. Jenna was still trembling in the corner.

Shauna came closer to him and narrowed her eyes. "I don't like it when people like you try to use others. When that girl had said no, she had meant NO!"

"I order you to back off…"

"Don't think so, sweetheart!" Shauna reacted boldly.

Harry couldn't believe what was going on.

Draco jerked out his wand and yelled. "_Initium__ Sectum!_"

Shauna easily blocked the pain inflicting spell when she retorted. "_Preoccupo__ Maledictio!_"

"Didn't Potter teach you a lesson when he tried to murder you…?" Draco was steaming fire.

"That's none of your beeswax, Malfoy." Shauna snapped. "Besides, Poopy Potter is much more fun to torture than you."

Scrunching his teeth with wrath, Draco roared. "_Expelliarmus_"

Shauna's wand went soaring in the air and Draco caught it with one swift movement.

There was a momentarily look of alarm on Shauna's face but soon it was replaced by anger as she lunged at Draco. He couldn't move away on time and was almost caught under her, with sent both if the wands flying out of his hands. Draco managed to kick Shauna and hurried towards one of the wands, both of which were at the other side of the hallway. Shauna rose up and managed to stagger after him. Draco seized his wand, but he was immediately knocked down by the leg.

That gave enough time for Shauna to take hold of both the wands, as she pointed at him. "I think it's best that you leave, Malfoy." she warned him.

Draco didn't have to waver, because right that moment he got up and spoke. "I'll get you for this…" And he disappeared round the corner.

Harry saw Shauna wiping her forehead as she slowly approached the grief-stricken Jenna.

"Are you alright?" she asked in the gentlest of voices.

Jenna didn't say anything; she just stared at her.

"Please, don't be afraid… Everything is going to be fine now." Shauna bent down and tried to assure the poor girl. "Draco won't be hurting you anymore. I promise…"

The frightened girl was now crying. Shauna didn't do anything except wait.

Sometime later, Jenna mustered some courage to speak. "I… I told him to s…stop! He wouldn't listen."

Shauna shook her head. "Malfoy is an old coward. And this just as much proves that he is a big one. Listen to me… if he tries to do anything, you just tell me and I'll deal with him personally. Is that ok…?"

Jenna nodded that brought an eccentric smile to Shauna's face.

"That's good. I know you are a Ravenclaw, but I don't think I know your name." Shauna asked.

"It's …J…Jenna Parker." she mumbled, weary-eyed but quite secure now. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot…"

"Why were you agreeing with Draco… when you first came?" Jenna wanted to know. "And why did you laugh when I requested for help…?

Shauna appeared quite embarrassed about this. "I shouldn't have done that… I'm sorry. Should have dealt it better… But I never meant any of it; I swear… it was all an act. I'm really sorry!" She paused for a moment and was lost in the stars. "Don't you… sometimes feel that you let the aggressive part inside you, gets the better of you…?"

Jenna shook her head, as if she didn't have a clue what Shauna was talking about.

Again, Shauna looked embarrassed as red tinged her cheeks. "Well… I just wanted you to know that if Malfoy ever tries to bother you again or something, then you just let me know."

"Okay…"

She helped Jenna get up, but the unfortunate girl's blouse was ripped right down the front.

"You ought to take my jacket…" Shauna offered, as she took it off. "Here…"

"Thank you…" Jenna breathed. "I should to back to my dormitory."

"Do you want me drop you off…?"

Jenna looked at Shauna gratefully and said. "If you can…"

Soon, both of the girls were out of Harry's sight as they walked away. He slumped down against the wall, almost refusing to believe what happened just minutes ago. How could Draco be so contemptible and stoop to such a level? And did Shauna have a soul inside of her?

He was thinking of her in a completely new light. Shauna would never have saved Jenna if she didn't have some good within her. And that would mean…

"No!" Harry spoke just to himself. "She can't be a human…" But Shauna had been so gentle with Jenna afterwards, that it actually seemed sickening. Who would expect a punk with colored hair, a hideous nose pin and painted face like her to do such a thing?

Harry could help it, but there was a new feeling for Shauna that was trying to enter him. He tried to block it, but that emotion had already penetrated his heart.

It was a feeling of utter respect!


	9. Trapped

**------------------------ ****CHAPTER**** 9: Trapped ------------------------******

"May I have your attention please…" a voiced echoed throughout the Great Hall.

Harry Potter and his two best friends looked up at the Hogwart's Headmaster from their breakfasts.

Professor Dumbledore was standing at the high table as he spoke to all of the students. "Due to some unfortunate circumstances, Minister Cornelius Fudge has been asked to step out from the highest position at the Ministry of Magic. And just yesterday, the Magical Community announced the new Minister of Magic. His name is Jonathon Bordeaux."

There was a great applause from everyone present in the Great Hall.

"Who's he?" Harry wondered.

Ron had the answer. "Bordeaux was the head of the International Magical Cooperation Department. Dad knew him pretty well."

"Really?" Hermione was surprised. "Is he capable…?"

"Very…" Ron responded. "Dad used to praise him a lot over the years. Said he was a fine chap and an incredibly proficient person."

"That's good!" Harry felt pleased. "Cornelius Fudge was all trash. He never did anything good for the Magical Community, ever."

Professor Dumbledore continued. "We, the people of Hogwarts, have taken the pleasure to honour Minister Bordeaux. There will a ball in about a week's time where we will invite the new Minister and some others members. There will be dancing, great food a whole lot of fun." He stopped only for a minute. "Therefore, I would like everybody to choose their dance partners and that includes the teachers."

There was a wave of giggles and laughter all the way through the Great Hall.

"I'm sorry to say, but all students under fourth year won't be able to attend the ball because it passes their bedtime. That will be all, thank you…" With that, Professor Dumbledore sat down.

Ron's eyes shifted towards Hermione as he asked very awkwardly. "So… who are you going to go with?"

"I don't know, Ron." Hermione replied coolly. "Nobody has asked me yet."

Ron cleared his throat, and was about to say something but abruptly decided to stop. Then he turned his attention to Harry. "Who do you plan to ask… Harry?"

He didn't have an answer. Now that Ginny Weasley was dead, Harry considered that he never could enjoy something like this again.

"Well…" Ron was waiting.

"I'm not sure." Harry complained irritably as he stood up. "And I'm not even sure that I want to go to this stupid ball."

Leaving, Hermione and Ron quite taken aback, Harry made his way towards the exit. He just wanted to go back to his dormitory and well… just die.

How could he betray Ginny? If he went out with someone else, he would be insulting her memory, and that was the only thing left of her. He still loved Ginny Weasley as if she was alive and breathing. Moreover, it was going to stay that way forever.

So caught up in his thoughts, Harry wasn't watching where he was going and bumped right into someone. It was Professor McGonagall.

"Do watch where you're going, Potter!" she exclaimed, smoothing out her dress.

"Sorry Professor." He mumbled.

Professor McGonagall looked him. "Why the long face?"

"Nothing… I'm not feeling too good…"

"I see…" the Professor breathed. "Have you decided whom to ask for the ball?"

Why was everybody so nosy? "No, I haven't. And I'm thinking of not attending it…"

Professor McGonagall seemed to comprehend his reluctance. "Cheer up, Potter. Of course, you will attend the ball as it is an occasion for joy and happiness. You have a whole week to think it through…" And then she hurried away.

Why was Professor McGonagall so enthusiastic about the ball? Harry wondered as he reached Gryffindor Tower and entered the common room. Nevertheless, he didn't want to go to some ridiculous ball party, because he didn't want to ask anyone. Because he didn't want anyone else. And because he loved only Ginny…

**-----------------------------------------------------------------**

It was afternoon of the day of the ball, and Harry was as calm as ever. He really wasn't planning on going… and nobody would really notice, maybe except for Ron and Hermione. But Harry would explain to them and they would understand.

Ron had finally managed to ask Hermione out to the ball. He had been pestering Harry the whole week that he was nervous and all and Hermione would never agree. Harry had gone so angry near the end that he had dragged Ron by the arm and almost had shoved him into Hermione.

"Ron here wants to ask you something…" Harry had told her.

But Ron had been hesitant. "Hermione… would you… please… I mean… would you like to… that is… would you like to check my Potions homework?"

Then Harry had smacked him in the arm. "Ron! That's not the question! Damn it, just ask her!"

"Hermione… want to go to the ball with me…?" Ron had asked frantically. "Not that it means…"

"Alright, Ron." Hermione had answered calmly.

"For real…?" Ron had been gaping. "That's great…" And he had disappeared off immediately, with a dream-like smile plastered on face.

Of course, Harry hadn't asked anyone. He wasn't interested in anyone and no girl at Hogwarts seemed to be fond of him. It was a win-win situation for Harry.

He was going to Professor McGonagall's office and wanted to ask her if he could take the Transfiguration quiz again (He had done extremely badly on the last one!). He reached outside her office and the door was slightly ajar. Harry was just going to enter when he heard. "No, Professor McGonagall! You can't make me!"

He peered inside the office and saw Professor McGonagall sitting inside with Shauna Swirl. They seemed to be arguing, or rather it was Shauna who was doing the most of it.

"Please… Professor, this is my trademark. This is who I am!" Shauna debated.

"I disagree, Miss Swirl!" Professor McGonagall seemed aghast. "Dressing like a punk with all that horrible colored hair and make-up… its preposterous! I will definitely not allow you to show up anything like this at the ball!"

"But why…?" Shauna demanded.

"I don't want the new Minister to think disapprovingly about Gryffindor!" Professor McGonagall explained.

"Who cares?"

"I do, Miss Swirl!" Professor McGonagall pointed out. "And since I am the head of the Gryffindor house… it makes a big difference. And I definitely don't want Johnny to think…" She suddenly stopped.

"Johnny…? You mean Jonathon Bordeaux?" Shauna was almost in giggles. "Was he your old sweetheart or something…?"

Professor McGonagall turned beet red in the face. "Of course, not. I…"

"You can't fool me, Professor!" exclaimed Shauna, still in hysterics. "I think he was! And that's why you want to impress him so much…"

Professor McGonagall opened her mouth to say something but then she stopped and appeared extremely confused. "Still, Miss Swirl… Whatever my reason maybe, I will not allow you to grace with your presence at the ball looking like a cheap, little… tramp!"

Shauna's smile faded from her face. "Then how am I supposed to go as…?"

"Like a normal girl!" the Professor exclaimed. "In fact, you come straight to my office before you go to the dance. I will personally cater to your looks…"

Shauna threw her hands in the air. "Then I won't go!"

"Of course you will, Miss Swirl!"

"No…" insisted Shauna. "Because nobody has asked me to go with them. Now I can't be there without a dance partner… can I? I mean… what will Johnny say?"

"Miss Swirl!" ordered Professor McGonagall. "That's enough! And I will find you a partner. I believe Neville Longbottom hasn't asked anyone yet…"

"Longbottom…??!!" Shauna was horrified. "Not him… forget it!"

Harry strained closer to listen better when suddenly he stepped on his robes and tripped, which sent him almost flying halfway through the office.

"What was that…" Professor McGonagall looked across the room. "Ah… Potter, just the person I wanted to see…"

Harry picked up his glasses that had fallen off when he had tripped, and then he slowly got up. "Why do want to see me?"

"Potter… who are you going to the ball with?" Professor McGonagall demanded quickly.

"No one. In fact, I was planning not to go at all…"

"Then it's settled!" Professor McGonagall seemed extremely pleased with herself. "I have found your partner Miss Swirl… Harry Potter!"

"Me…?" Harry was shocked. "No way Professor! She's not going with me!!"

Shauna banged her fist on the table. "I'd rather go with Longbottom!"

"No! I have made my decision!" Professor McGonagall was firm. "And I'm warning… if anyone of you does anything to jeopardize the dance, then I'll will personally make sure that both of you get on the Hogwarts Express back to London first thing in the morning!"

"But Professor…" Shauna started.

"You're both dismissed!" roared Professor McGonagall. "Now leave my office!"

Harry scrunched his teeth angrily as he walked out from the office, followed by Shauna. He then grabbed her arm. "This is your entire fault!"

"What…?" Shauna demanded. "You're the one who was eavesdropping and came crashing in the office! And if you hadn't done just that, McGonagall would have never picked you as my partner!"

Harry instantly let go of her arm. "This is not happening! Not only I have to attend the ball, I have to go with a bitch!"

"How dare you call me one?" Shauna exclaimed, irritated. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you'd be asking for a re-match."

"You know what…" snapped Harry. "I tried to kill you once… I can easily do it again." He wasn't serious at all, just very cross and was only trying his best to scare her out of her wits.

Shauna narrowed her eyes and spoke firmly. "Your threats don't frighten me, Poopy Potter."

"Don't ever call me that… again!" Harry warned.

"And if I do…"

Harry grabbed her arm once and pulled her closer to him. "You can't even imagine what I'll do to you…"

"Let go of my arm, Potter!" Shauna ordered.

Harry did just that and then immediately left.

**-----------------------------------------------------------**

(A/N: Thanks to everybody for the REVIEWS. Please keep submitting more and more… I hope you think this fanfic is getting interesting… Next stop… THE BALL!)


	10. Rememberances

**------------------------ ****CHAPTER 10: Remembrances ------------------------******

"It's so damn stuffy in here." Ron was complaining as he tried to loosen up his collar. "How am I supposed to put up with this for the rest of the night?"

Harry rolled his eyes. There were bigger things to worry about than stiff collars. Things like a night of dancing and 'fun' with Shauna Swirl.

The boys were in their dormitory getting ready for the ball. Ron was mostly nervous and quite anxious, trying to make himself look as charming as possible.

"Harry, do my robes look all right?" Ron was asking.

"They look fine…" Harry answered without even glancing at them. "I can't believe this is happening! How did I get stuck with her?"

"Come on Harry, it's not that bad." Ron made an attempt to restore some confidence in his best friend. "It's not like you have to marry her."

"Ron…" Harry was getting angry. "I despise her and the whole of Hogwarts knows that! But imagine what the people will say when they see us together tonight!"

"Who cares what the school thinks of you… " Ron implied as he ran his fingers through his hair and spoke absent-mindedly. "It only matters what you think…"

Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What's the matter with you, Ron? Don't you know that I think Shauna is outrageous? Don't you know that I hate her?"

"Maybe you're right." blinked Ron. "But what can you do about it. I mean… if you ditch the girl or the ball, McGonagall's going to kill you."

Ron was right. Harry seemed to be trapped in all directions, and there was no logical way out of this.

"Harry… do I strike you as a dashing man?" Ron suddenly asked.

"What did you say?" Harry was fully bewildered as he faced his best friend.

"I mean… do you think Hermione will like me?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Harry exclaimed. "Why don't you ask her tonight yourself?"

"But what if Hermione says something totally awful…?" Ron kept talking.

"She said yes to you, didn't she?" Harry was now quite cross. "I have to leave now, Ron"

Ron appeared a bit surprised. "Aren't you supposed to come with me and Hermione?"

"I wish!" Harry shook his head sadly. "I have to go McGonagall's office and pick up Swirl." He glimpsed himself in the mirror. "I don't look too nice, do I?"

Ron had a confused expression on his face. "What?"

"I don't want Shauna to get any disgusting ideas about me…" Harry explained as he turned to leave the dormitory. "See you at the ball."

"Yeah…"

Harry slowly made his way towards Professor McGonagall's office. He was going to dread every moment of tonight. Just visualize, he was going to have to dance with Shauna Swirl when a couple of weeks ago, they were thrashing each other to death. What horrible luck!

On reaching the office, Harry didn't have to think twice and immediately knocked on the door. No way, he was not going to eavesdrop ever again. Look what happened when he did just that last time.

"Who is it?" came McGonagall's voice from the inside.

"It's Harry…"

"No… Professor! Don't let him in!" Harry heard Shauna shriek from within the office. "Please don't…"

"Don't be ridiculous… you look tremendously lovely, Miss Swirl." Then Professor McGonagall exclaimed. "Come in Potter."

Harry took a deep breath, placed his hand on the door knob and slowly twisted it. The door opened away quite easily as Harry peeked inside the giant office and then gradually stepped in. Professor McGonagall was sitting at her desk, seeming extremely satisfied with herself. Shauna was standing right next to her…

Harry's eyes widened abruptly when he noticed his archenemy. All of a sudden, Harry's heart began to beat faster than usual and he could feel adrenaline flowing through all over her rigid body.

She was definitely not Shauna Swirl. At least, not the repulsive Shauna he knew. She was looking absolutely beautiful and, bit by bit, was taking Harry's breath away. Dressed in jade green robes that flowed delicately around her body, and it matched perfectly with her emerald lit eyes. Her stunning black hair was dye-free and was cascading gracefully around her back. Shauna's face not only glowed with beauty, but also with warmth of the world.

Moreover, Harry would have never ever recognized her as Shauna, if he hadn't seen that muggle photo of her brought by Ron.

"Are you ready?" Professor McGonagall asked.

Harry was openly staring at her… and Shauna seemed to realize it. Maybe that's why she shyly was avoiding his gaze, "Yes…" he gulped tensely.

"Well… you two enjoy yourselves." It was rather an order than a remark from the Professor. "And Remember, no funny business or face a lifetime expulsion from Hogwarts."

With a slight push from McGonagall, Shauna came towards Harry appearing very flustered.

Harry cleared his throat. "We should get going…" he breathed, struggling to not look at her in the eye. God… he never had been uncomfortable like this in all his life. The person he detested so much was suddenly appearing as lovely as an angel!

Both of them hurried towards the Great Hall, not saying a single word to each other. The entrance was swarming with slightly nervous couples, accompanied by giggles and teasings, while excitement and buds of romance ruled the air.

Harry took a deep breath and paced towards the entrance of the Great Hall, with Shauna trailing behind him. He had nearly go in, when Professor Flitwick stopped him.

"Mr. Potter… where's your dance partner?" he squeaked.

He gestured towards Shauna very awkwardly.

"Very nice…" Professor Flitwick was reprimanding. "But you must offer your arm to your lovely lady before crossing the threshold of the Great Hall. It's an old Hogwart's tradition."

Harry's face fell, and Shauna was smiling fearfully at the Professor who instantly voiced. "It's alright, he doesn't have to…"

"No, I must insist. Now don't be shy…"

Very reluctant to do this but having absolutely no choice, Harry offered his arm to Shauna. She accepted it by hesitantly placing her arm in his.

"That's more like it." the tiny Professor beamed. "Have fun…"

Harry simply wanted to die… he really did. He was so mortified when he entered the Great Hall, arm-in-arm with Shauna Swirl.

"Oy, Harry!"

He twisted around to see Dean Thomas and Parvati Patil making their way towards him.

"Nice to see you here…" Dean commented as he turned towards Shauna. "Hullo, you're looking gorgeous. Who are you, by the way?"

Shauna seemed surprised, and so was Harry. Dean hadn't recognized her. Grinning meekly at him, Shauna spoke uncertainly. "A friend of Harry's…"

"Yep… she's my friend." Harry assured with a fake smile. "It was nice talking…" He immediately grasped Shauna and dragged her away from Dean and Parvati before they could bombard any more questions.

Shauna looked as if she were dumbstruck, however seemed relieved. "Thank goodness…" But it was short-lived, because Neville Longbottom appeared in front of them right that moment.

"Harry… have you seen Eloise Midgen?" Neville panted as he looked around. "She's my partner and I've been looking for her everywhere. I think I lost her when I asked her to dance…"

"Or she ditched you…" Shauna exclaimed with a bit of annoyance.

"Who's your date, Harry?" Neville looked confused, as he stared openly at Shauna.

"Just nobody…" answered Harry in a very quick manner. "Don't worry, you'll find Eloise soon enough."

"I hope so." Neville turned to leave, but at the same time he treaded on his robes. At once, Neville was tumbling onto the ground, as he grabbed Shauna's dress for support and pulled her down with him.

"What are…" Shauna shrieked as she landed alongside him on the ground. There were a few instants of utter confusion. "Longbottom… you clumsy scumbag! How dare you…?" she was screaming with anger.

"You… you're… S… Shauna Swirl!" Neville accused in fright.

This was catching everyone's attention and students were beginning to gather around them.

Without thinking, Harry helped Shauna get up as he whispered. "Are you alright?"

"No…"

People were now gaping at them with surprise. "That's Shauna Swirl. I don't believe it!"

"She's Harry's date!"

"But I thought…"

"She's looking really pretty."

"But Harry hates her…"

They wouldn't stop. Harry could see Shauna's cheeks reddening with embarrassment. "Tell them to shut up." she pleaded Harry in a panicky murmur.

For some reason, Shauna seemed to have lost all her confidence when she had been stripped off her punky look. Normally she would have started shouting at everyone by now. Instead she was backing away and saying. "I'm leaving…" With that she turned her heels and dashed away from sight.

Harry couldn't understand why he did it, but immediately rushed after her. It took him a few minutes to find Shauna. She was outside the entrance of the Great Hall, almost in tears.

"This is all wrong!" Shauna cried out when she saw Harry coming towards her. "I wish that I'd never been …I… I…" she suddenly stopped, worried but then sighed deeply. "I wish I was dead."

Harry didn't know what to say, so he just pressed his lips together.

"I'm not going to go back in there!" Shauna declared.

"Are you mad?" exclaimed Harry. "McGonagall is going to grind our bones, if we don't!"

"I can't care less!"

"Listen…" Harry began. "I have no plans of being expelled from Hogwarts, anytime soon! Why don't we just endure each other for a little while longer, and then we'll set things to where they were before… all right?"

"No!"

Harry threw his arms in the air. "Don't be so difficult, Shauna!"

Her expression suddenly frowned and she was now staring at him. Harry suddenly realized he had just called her by her first name.

"I… come on, let's go. " Harry insisted, highly embarrassed. "You don't want to deal with the wrath of McGonagall. Believe me… you don't want to get on her bad side."

"Forget it… Potter!"

After a bit more of persuasion, she finally agreed as both of them entered the Great Hall again with their spirits slightly out of place. A local band - The Roller Ghosters (which consisted of five ghouls and phantoms) were playing their hit melodious single 'What would it take to make you see that I'm alive'. The new Minster or Magic was sitting next to Professor Dumbledore and both of them were enjoying watching the students and some teachers dancing and whirling around to the beat of the music. Delicious and tempting food was already set on the tables near the sides of the Great Hall and many wizards and witches were already eating.

"So…" Harry wondered as he shifted his leg. "What do you want to do?"

"Eat…" Shauna replied as she headed towards the dinner table and grabbed a plate with some food. Harry did the same.

Soon Ron and Hermione approached where they were seated, all hot and puffed up from dancing.

"Hey Harry…" Ron called out. "How's it going?" But when he saw Shauna, he almost fainted. "What the…?"

Hermione had a similar reaction. "Good Lord…!"

Shauna glared at both them. "What's the matter? Haven't you ever seen a girl before?"

"You look even better than in that muggle picture!" Ron blurted out.

"What did you say…?" Shauna seemed confused.

Ron was divulging, as he gave away a whoop of lust. "I really like the way you look!"

"WHAT?" cried out Shauna as she shot up from her chair, the food lay forgotten. "That's disgusting, Ron. How can you say something like this?"

But he was still ogling at her, and Hermione was getting angrier. "Ron…" she ordered. "Let's go jazz some more." She pulled him away to the dance floor.

Shauna sat down again, obviously still angry. Harry was staring at her from the corner of his eyes. She was acting really different tonight, extremely weird. And once Harry had gotten this feeling… that he had known Shauna forever. And it had been quite discomforting, really.

He turned his attention back to his food and some of the dancing couples. He saw Ron twirling Hermione and he was doing it so much that she seemed to be getting dizzier by the second. Harry laughed out loud, and then he instantly caught Shauna watching him intently.

"Ahem…" Harry cleared his throat, and she instantly turned her attention away as her cheeks flushed scarlet.

Suddenly Shauna gasped in fright as she darted off her seat. "Oh no…"

"What's wrong?" Harry went worried, browsing through the crowd for some sort of trouble.

Without a word, Shauna rushed towards the dance floor and Harry saw her making her way towards Draco Malfoy, who was dancing with… Jenna Parker.

Not wanting to create a scene, Shauna skillfully cut in between them as if asking Draco for a dance and lightly brushing Jenna off. Harry saw Shauna mouth a 'go' to a frightened Jenna, and the little girl immediately left with a sense of relief on her face. Draco had apparently been forcing Jenna to dance with him.

Shauna danced with Draco, laughing and looking happy. But Harry could see easily tell that she was rebuking him, because of that look of horror on Draco's face. Indeed, Shauna was a very good actress.

It didn't take long for the song to finish, and soon Shauna was back with Harry. He couldn't help it, but Harry was feeling a sense of admiration for her. Shauna was really determined keeping Draco away from harassing Jenna Parker. And Harry would have done the same…

"How was the dance with Malfoy?" Harry asked sneakily, wanting to see her reaction.

"Huh…?" Shauna seemed surprised. "Oh… that! It was okay. I was just… I mean… I just promised a dance with him… that's all."

"But I thought you hated him…"

"I do. But you see, we had this bet and…" Shauna uttered, her eyes still following Draco across the dancing crowd.

"Who won?"

Unexpectedly, Shauna exclaimed. "I have to go!" She swiftly got up and made a dash towards the exit.

Harry stared after her, and then immediately decided to follow her this time. He chased Shauna across the Great Hall, the exit and then trailed after her outside towards the Hogwarts grounds. It was pitch-black and almost a moonless night, but somehow Harry couldn't help noticing the air of beauty in it. The only source of light that sprinkled around the area was the gleam of the stars which were loosely fastened against the blackness of the night.

Shauna, as sleek and quiet as a cat, treaded softly among the lush green bushes, was in pursuit of Malfoy.

_That must be it!_ Harry was thinking. Shauna probably was making sure that Draco didn't go after Jenna Parker. Subsequently, Harry saw her sitting on one of the benches, not taking her hawk-like eyes away from her prey. Unhurriedly, Harry went towards the bench and then took a seat next to her.

"Harry… what are you doing here?" Shauna whispered.

"I was merely wondering where my date shot off." Harry had also a good view of Malfoy who seemed to be waiting in the dark for someone.

"You can go back Harry…" Shauna suggested.

"No… I'm alright."

"Really." persisted Shauna. "I don't want to back because it's too hot in the Great Hall."

"I know… I need some fresh air as well."

Suddenly, both of them heard a pair of footsteps. Looking across the bushes, Harry saw Pansy Parkinson making her way towards Draco. Both of them seemed to be absorbed into each other as Draco out his arm around Pansy's waist and lead her away towards the dormitories.

Shauna heaved a sigh of relief, as Draco didn't seem to be after Jenna anymore. "What a weird night?"

Harry laughed as he agreed with her. "Definitely."

None of them said anything for a while. Harry was instantly spellbound when he noticed the gentle rippling of the lake beside them. The starry sky was mirroring in the silky waters; it seemed as if two very different worlds were merged as a single wonderful entity. For some strange reason, the lake and stars floating in it truly mystified him. He was seductively drawn into its dreamy facade by a mesmerizing force and it was some time later when he realised that he was experiencing the sensation of happiness and content. The moment of bliss trickled away and Harry became aware that Shauna was still sitting next to him, silently studying him and the horrible fact that he was completely alone with her. Suddenly, he began to get a bit uncomfortable…

Shauna lowered her gaze when she asked this question. "So… how's Ron doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"I recently heard… that his little sister passed away in the summer." Shauna breathed.

Harry couldn't believe it. Shauna was talking about… Ginny…

How was it possible? Harry had been actually enjoying the night… how could he?

He had done it! He had betrayed Ginny's remembrance…

Tears were spurting out of his eyes as Harry stood up to leave. But Shauna grabbed his arm and exclaimed. "Did I say anything wrong, Harry?"

And suddenly Harry couldn't take the guilt any longer. "How do you think Ron's doing? He's devastated that I killed Ginny…"

"What?" Shauna was wearing a bemused look. "But… you didn't kill her…"

"Yes I did!" Harry snapped. "It's because of me Ginny is dead."

"Harry…" Tears were beginning to appear in her eyes.

"Do you know what it feels to lose someone you really loved…?" demanded Harry. "Do you realize the pain and guilt you have to go through…?"

Shauna seemed a loss for words. "You loved Ginny…?" She let go of Harry's arm in shock.

"Yes I did, Shauna!" Harry exclaimed, utterly angry at himself. "But that only happened after she had died… when it was too late." Harry sat himself on the bench and covered his face with his hands. Some time later, he felt Shauna sitting next to him.

"Harry… please don't do this." she pleaded.

Harry whispered. "I can never forgive myself…"

"But Ginny has forgiven you…"

Harry looked up at her, confused. "What?"

Shauna's gorgeous face was lined with stardust, as she spoke. "Ginny is gone forever, Harry… but she has forgiven you. I mean… if she hadn't, then her spirit would have been haunting you right about now. And I don't think that's happening… is it?"

"She comes in my dreams…"

"That's different." Shauna tried to explain. "That's only your guilt haunting you… not Ginny."

Harry closed in eyes, he was in pain. "She was so beautiful…"

"She certainly was!" Shauna smiled. "I saw a picture of her when I was staying at the Burrow."

Harry looked up at her. "But I never got to tell how much I loved her…"

Tears sparkled in Shauna's eyes, and it was a while before she spoke again. "I'm sure Ginny knows that..."

"I miss her terribly…"

"Harry…" Shauna uttered softly. "I think you're hurting yourself too much with her remembrances. You should get on with your life and…"

But Harry interrupted her. "But I can't just forget her."

"You misunderstood me, Harry." clarified Shauna. "I'm not asking you to do that, because you can never forget Ginny and she will continue to live in your heart. But Harry, don't drown yourself in your guilt of losing her. It's not worth it."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Harry wanted to know.

"Firstly, you should try to remove all traces of guilt inside your heart. Harry, I know Lord Voldemort killed Ginny and that automatically means you didn't. It was the Dark Lord who made that decision and acted upon it, and you had nothing to do with it. It was Voldemort's' own free will… to do what he did."

Harry stayed silent.

"And people don't really die… they are among you all the time because… they live_ in you_. Harry, don't you sometimes feel your mother's voice or your father's laughter?"

He smiled at that as Shauna continued. "And it's the same with Ginny Weasley. She will be inside your heart all the time, but… you must learn to let her go physically."

Harry's tears were stubborn, and refused to stay in. But he felt as if a great load was lifted from his heart. Shauna Swirl was incredible… what she said seemed to be so true. He looked up at her as he dried his tears. "You know quite a lot about this…"

"I do." Shauna slowly smiled through her own tears. "I have also lost several people whom I loved very much."

It was a shock. "Several…?"

"Yes, Harry… they were more than just a family to me." narrated Shauna with a hint of melancholy in her voice. "And I still love them with all my heart…"

"What happened…?"

Shauna burst into tears and turned away from Harry.

"I'm sorry… I shouldn't have asked." He begged. "Forgive me…"

She slowly faced him, teary-eyed. Shauna seemed so vulnerable and so lost, that Harry immediately reached out and took her in his arms.

"Oh… Harry!" she clung onto him more tightly and it stayed like that for quite a while.

Slowly, they drew apart as Harry looked deeply into her emerald eyes. And all of a sudden, he had this urge… a powerful desire that he could never have explained, not even to this day.

Harry Potter put his arms around Shauna's waist, pulled her closer and kissed her softly on her lush pink lips. She didn't fight it at all and unhurriedly placed her arms around Harry's neck. They drew away from each other, but it lasted only for a moment because Shauna had pulled up and was kissing him back.

She held him close as Harry kissed her jaw that trailed right down to her neck. "Harry…" she was whispering with delight as he kissed her lips again, with his hands thoughtlessly wandering all over her body.

Harry couldn't believe it. She felt so wonderful in his arms. Somehow, Shauna had managed to open a hidden door within him that permitted the feelings of warmth and pleasure to enter his heart. It was a sensation Harry had never experienced before - the miracle of allowing himself forgiveness for believeing to be the real reason of Ginny's cruel murder. With that thought in mind, he kissed Shauna even harder, devouring the sweet taste of her lips.

All of a sudden, Shauna stiffened as she exclaimed. "No… please. Harry Stop it!"

He instantly pulled back from the kiss, completely perplexed. "What's wrong?"

Shauna shoved him away, as she stood up from the bench, staggering. "I shouldn't be doing this!"

"Shauna…"

"Oh God!" she exclaimed, seemingly furious with herself. "What have I done…?"

"Shauna…" Harry tried again.

"Please, forgive me…" She wasn't talking to Harry but with the stars. "I'm so sorry!" She started to leave, but Harry grabbed her.

"What's wrong?" he demanded.

Shauna was in tears. "I have committed the unacceptable. Please… Harry, pretend that this never happened. I have to leave."

"But why…?" he wanted to know.

"It can not be explained." Shauna insisted tugging her arm, as her face was being replaced by absolute, raging anger. "Let go of me… Poopy Potter!"

"Shauna… please…" pleaded Harry.

With one powerful yank, Shauna's arm was free. "Stay away from me…" With that warning, she left Harry in the midst of full-blown darkness. The stars were gone…


	11. The Primal Sign

**------------------------ ****CHAPTER**** 11: The Primal Sign ------------------------******

_"She is incompetent! It was a mistake sending her…" a great voice boomed as it pierced through the deathly silence._

_"I believe she can do it… for she is the one, and will complete what needs to be done." another deep voice affirmed._

_"I do not agree!" the first voice objected. "She is becoming too weak… too much human. Her emotions are getting the better of her!"_

_"But she is aware of the consequences if a single mistake is made. She knows that countless lives are too much at risk." _

_"There is little time left. We must begin now!"_

_"Yes… we will begin…"_

**-----------------------------------------------------------**

It was two in the morning and Harry Potter was sitting alone in the Gryffindor common room, in a state of utter mystification. He never had been more confused in all his life for he couldn't explain what was going on within him. He couldn't understand his thoughts or decipher his feelings. What the hell was happening to him?

And he couldn't sleep, Ginny's thoughts kept haunting him… as Harry had betrayed after all this time. He had dared to feel affection for somebody else, someone other than Ginny Weasley. Harry Potter had not only stolen her life, but now had deceived her. Was she ever going to forgive him?

He closed his eyes and tried to recall the happenings of last night. Shauna Swirl had been so… angelic, so full of goodness and truth. She had melted away her ugliness, instantly to reveal a realm of beauty of the heart. Resurrecting Harry from the dead, Shauna had breathed life into his almost inert body. And she herself had been so distorted from the death of… whomever she loved very much, that Harry couldn't help feeling a sense of compassion towards her.

But was it wrong?

Was it immoral to feel for someone else when you're already in love? Was it worth it to care for Shauna?

"Oy…" Hermione appeared out of nowhere. "What are you doing here?"

Harry turned to face his best friend. "Nothing, I was just… I can't go to sleep."

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "Why not?"

"I don't know…"

"Where did you disappear off to last night?" she wanted to know.

Harry voiced. "Hermione… I didn't go anywhere."

"Do you think, I'm blind?" Hermione snapped. "You've been so secretive the past few months. I mean, you never tell us how you really feel anymore. But I'm not stupid… I know something's terribly wrong."

Harry didn't take his eyes away from Hermione's face.

"Does it have to do anything with Ginny…?"

He closed his and twisted himself away.

"I didn't realize…" Hermione eyes were watering. "You miss her, don't you… Harry?" she spoke softly.

"Very much."

"Did you love her?"

Harry looked outside the window towards the night sky. "I still love her."

"Oh Harry…" Hermione seemed distraught as she her hand on Harry's shoulder. "Did you ever tell her?"

"No…"

"I'm sorry." mumbled Hermione.

"Yeah…" Harry uttered sadly. Should he tell Hermione about his new feelings for Shauna Swirl? He decided not to.

"Does Ron know about this?" she inquired.

Harry shook his head as he spoke. "And I'd rather if you don't mention any of this to him. Only God knows, what type of fit he'll get into."

"Don't worry, it is safe with me."

"Thanks." Harry muttered as he looked up at Hermione. "You should go back to sleep."

"Are you going to be okay?" she was concerned.

"I will be… Just give me some time."

"Alright… good night." Hermione called as she headed towards the girls dormitory.

Harry was silent again for quite a while and went lost in his thoughts about Shauna Swirl and Ginny Weasley. He didn't sleep the whole night.

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Come on." Hermione urged her two best friends. "We're going to be late for Potions!"

"Hold on…" Ron cried out annoyingly. "Let me get all these books in the bag first."

Hermione was also irritated. "Hurry up, will you? Snape is going to take off house points!"

The threesome was in the common room, getting ready for their morning class.

"Let's go." Hermione declared as she headed out of the Gryffindor tower, with Harry and Ron trailing behind her.

Quickly they made their way towards the dungeons and just as they were turning round the corner, Harry spotted Shauna in the hallway. She was her old usual repulsive self again, but this time Harry didn't care. He turned in the direction of Ron and Hermione, but they were already out of sight.

Without thinking, he went towards Shauna and said. "We need to talk."

She looked at him, infuriated. "No, we don't!"

"Come on… I know a place where we can discuss some important matters." He took hold of her arm and began to pull her towards Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

"Hey… Hey!" Shauna was extremely reluctant as she heaved back. "I'm not going anywhere with you." It was a firm command.

"Shauna, please…" Harry insisted. "It will only take a moment."

"No! And take your hand off me!"

Shauna wasn't going to listen to him and Harry decided he had to do something about it.

"We're going to talk…" He said firmly and didn't release her arm till he dragged her towards the bathroom.

"You stupid git!" Shauna was furious as she shook Harry's hand off her. "I said… I don't want to!" But it was too late because they had already reached inside Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. "Fine… Fine… What is it that you want to talk about?" Shauna's eyes were blazing fire.

"About last night."

"What about it?" she demanded, crossing her arms.

Harry couldn't understand her. Why was she being so difficult? "You can't simply ignore it, Shauna! We had shared a lot of feelings…"

"No, Potter!" Shauna was adamant. "_You_ poured out your feelings… I didn't!"

"Still… Last night wasn't just nothing. It meant something to me and I'm sure you felt it as well. Or else you wouldn't have returned my kiss!"

Shauna was staring at him, open mouthed and full of spite. "I…"

"Don't deny it!"

"You know what, Potter?" Shauna was steaming. "You're right! I did feeling something for you. And do you know what that was? It was pity!"

Harry almost fainted.

"Yes… pity, sympathy, commiseration… whatever you want to call it." Shauna was explaining. "I felt really sorry for you and that's why I was acting so nice yesterday. There was simply no other reason."

"You're lying…" Harry accused her, with is heart plunging in the depths of sorrow.

"No, I'm not!" It was a definite remark. "Famous Harry Potter… blaming himself to demise for one of Lord Voldemort's kills! How absolutely pathetic! It just shows how weak you are…"

"Shut up…" Harry was scrunching his teeth and anger was taking over his emotions.

"Poor Harry Potter…" Shauna continued with a crafty grin. "…in love with a dead girl!"

That was it! Harry was fuming when he suddenly grabbed Shauna's robes and instantly pinned her against the smooth wall as he spat in her face. "You bitch… you have got a lot of nerve saying something like this, especially after when you were acting so _sympathetic _last night!"

"Take you filthy hands off of me… Potter!" Shauna exclaimed with a full-blast of rage.

"No!" He was firm as he pushed her against the wall, hard. "I don't know that kind of games you're trying to play with me. And I don't like it!"

"I said…"

"Shut up!" Harry ordered with complete resentment. "Somehow… I can't seem to work out which side of you is real. But your evil trait is enough to say that I really can't trust you."

"Potter… I'm serious! If you don't take…"

But Harry cut in. "And if you ever cuss Ginny like that again, then I'll make sure that you end up as a scrumptious dinner at the Slytherin table!" He released her.

"You're an asshole! Did you know that?" Shauna shouted as he looked at Harry right in his eyes.

He ignored the offense. "I can't believe that I actually kissed your filthy mouth last night!" He shook his head. "I must have been out of my mind!"

Shauna narrowed her eyes. "Same here… And you're such a lousy kisser!"

"That's good!" Harry was retorting. "I'm so glad that you didn't enjoy it!"

"You're also such a despicable person." Shauna exclaimed with zest. "Thank goodness… you're parents didn't have a chance to put up with you."

All of a sudden, Harry's fury got completely out of hand as he raised one of his hands to strike Shauna right in the face. But Harry instantly felt as if time was slowing down and then completely stopping. His hand was frozen in mid air and he couldn't move it at all. In fact, Harry wasn't able to move any part of his body. Shauna was in front of him, fully petrified as well.

"Harry Potter…" a whispery voice echoed.

He tried to turn his head to see the source of the voice, but was unable to do so.

"You must find your place…" the voice whispered again.

_Who was it?_ Harry wondered inside his head. _Who was speaking?_

"This is your destiny…" Immediately, Harry saw a small, green ball of a sphere hovering towards him. It began to gradually increase in size. The sphere was swelling and growing, till its circumference wrapped itself around Harry and Shauna, as slowly was covering all the bathroom cubicles and the sinks.

What was happening?

And then was an abrupt blast and suddenly the sphere was completely gone and Harry could move his body again.

"You were saying…?" Shauna demanded.

Harry twisted around, but nobody was behind him in the bathroom. He swiftly glanced around and began to check all the cubicles.

Shauna seemed bewildered, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Didn't you hear the voice?"

"What voice?" Shauna exclaimed.

"That peculiar voice…" Harry muttered, still glimpsing around feverishly. "Didn't you feel that you were frozen?"

"Are you nutters?" Shauna frowned as she thought she realized. "I see… you're playing games with me!"

"No…"

"Listen to me git!" she seemed deadly serious. "I don't want anything to do with you. So, I'll stay out of your face and you stay out of mine… good enough?"

Harry gave her a momentarily look and then immediately shot towards the door and in moments, he was striding down the hallway, thinking anxiously.

What was the voice? Who was it? Shauna couldn't hear it… and perhaps the voice was speaking in parseltongue. What about the growing sphere? Shouldn't Shauna have seen that even if she was frozen?

Something very strange was happening, and Harry was determined to find out.

-----------------------------------------------------------

(AN: Thank you for the reviews. Some of you may have noticed that I have re-posted the story in another section – Romance. I thought well Action/Adventure comes a bit later. Don't forget to leave a review…)


	12. A Surprise Visit

(A/N: I'm really sorry for not updating for a LONG time. My exams had been quite tough and then I had to travel. But from now on, I'll be as regular as possible. By the way, and I DON'T BELIEVE IT MYSELF, I still haven't read **Order of the Phoenix**!!!!! And it's been driving me CRAZY!!!!!!! After you've read this chapter, don't forget to review coz I really appreciate them… Thanx!)

**------------------------ ****CHAPTER 12: A Surprise Visit ------------------------**

A single tear ran down her cheek. It was a great burden and it was almost impossible to handle. And there was so much grief… so much pain…

She just sat there silently… and thinking…

_These fickle, fuddled words confuse me  
Like 'Will it rain today?'  
Waste the hours with talking, talking  
These twisted game we're playin'  
  
We're strange allies  
With warring hearts  
What wild-eyed beast you be_

_The Space Between  
The wicked lies we tell  
And hope to keep us safe from the pain  
  
Will I hold you again?  
Will I hold you…?_

**--------------------------------------------------------**

"That's mighty weird!" Ron exclaimed. "How long did it last?"

Harry Potter had to think for a moment. "About a minute or two. It had been the strangest experience ever!"

"Are you sure you saw a green sphere?" Hermione wanted to know.

"Positive…" Harry affirmed and then he asked her. "Do you have any clue to what it might mean?"

Hermione shook her head. "I don't have a clue. But I'm sure the answer lies somewhere in the library. It always does!"

The three friends were alone in the Gryffindor common room and Harry had just finished telling them about that strange incident in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

"And you said that time had stopped?" Hermione implied raising one of her eyebrows. "You could be wrong. What if someone had magicked a freezing charm or something?"

"Don't think so." Harry was sure. "I know what it's like to be hit with a freezing charm. But this… literally felt as if time was slowing down and finally stopping."

"But you were able to think and you heard that peculiar voice…. right?" Ron assumed as he slowly paced up and about a great armchair. "And if time had really stopped… then you wouldn't have been able to do just that. I mean Harry…. you did say that Swirl was bewildered when you asked her about the voice and time stopping. So … time _did_ stop for her. And that's why…"

"You're being stupid, Ron!" Hermione cut-in, and appeared quite annoyed. "Don't you see… whatever had happened… was meant for Harry and Harry only. It doesn't involve Shauna in any way and that's why she couldn't hear anything. This whole incident… means something important but we don't know exactly what. And I think we're supposed to figure it out." Hermione paused for a second as a thought entered her mind. "But Harry… why were you in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom with Shauna in the first place?"

Harry's face burned with embarrassment as he tried to put up a plausible reply. "Actually… I was… I mean, you know how I was behind you guys when we were going to Potions…"

"And…"

"Well… I had to go the toilet…" Harry lied.

Ron's face creased with confusion. "And you decided to go to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom?"

"It was the closest." Harry argued as-a-matther-of-factly.

"And it also was a girl's bathroom, Harry?" Hermione seemed appalled. "Besides, the boys' toilet is only minutes away."

"It had also been an emergency," retorted Harry as he threw his hands up in disbelief. "And then I bumped into Shauna there and as usual, we were on each others throats!"

Ron raised his eyebrows. "That's a first."

Hermione grabbed her book bag and headed towards the Fat Lady's Portrait and she asked. "You boys coming?"

"Where?" Harry wanted to know.

"To the library, of course."

Ron looked at Harry and shrugged. "Sure… why not."

The threesome climbed out of Gryffindor Tower and made their way towards the gigantic Hogwarts Library.

Suddenly, Hermione stopped and exclaimed. "What if we can't find the answer?"

Ron looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"What if the answer is somewhere in the restricted section?" Hermione considered with a worried tone. She looked at Harry with pleading eyes.

"What?" Ron appeared confused.

But Harry understood. "You want me to get the Invisibility cloak, just in case?"

Hermione gave away a puppy smile. "Thanks Harry. That way we can figure out exactly what happened in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom."

"See you guys in a minute." Harry said as he rushed back towards the Fat Lady's portrait.

"Password?" her heavy voice ordered.

Harry rolled his eyes as he mumbled. "It's _Transfiguration_."

The portrait swung open and Harry quickly climbed inside as he advanced towards his dormitory. He twisted open his door and suddenly saw Shauna Swirl turning around in surprise. She was standing next to Harry's chest of drawers.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Harry demanded her, extremely angry.

"P…Potter?" Shauna tried to construct an angry face but was unable to do so; her voice was trembling. "I… I… was…"

Harry moved forward as he saw that Shauna had something in her hand. "What's that you're holding?" He pointed at it.

Shauna's face curled with a crimson blend of confusion and fright as she nervously exclaimed. "I have to go…" With that she tried to make her way towards the exit, but was immediately grabbed by Harry.

"You're not leaving until you explain to me what you were doing here?" he scrunched his teeth, utterly furious at Shauna. "Show me what's in your hand!"

"No!" Shauna squirmed beneath his grip. "Get out of my way… Poppy Potter!"

Harry reached out and grabbed Shauna's wrist as he pulled away a photograph from her hand. "What this?" he asked and gave the wizard photo a quick glance. It was a picture of him and Ron at the Burrow. Ginny had taken it last year with her new camera, before she had died. "You stole this from my dresser… you bitch!" Harry accused her with blazing anger. "What were you going to do with it? Curse me and Ron?"

"No I wasn't!" Shauna looked shocked as she tried to pull away from Harry's grasp trying her best to escape.

"Then why the hell did you steal it?"

"I have my reasons!" Shauna spat. "And I don't need to explain them to you!"

Now Harry was really enraged. He pushed Shauna onto one of the beds and shouted with rage. "You twisted bitch! You just love to mess with my life…don't you?" He was getting dangerously close to her.

Shauna instantly jumped out of the bed. "This had nothing to do with you!"

"Really?" Harry raised his eyebrows in a sarcastic manner. "So…. you're saying it had to do something with Ron then?"

There was a mystical look on Shauna's face. "Maybe…"

Harry was almost disgusted. "Don't tell me? You're in love with Ron?"

Shauna glared at him with killer looks. Without saying a single word, she made an attempt for the exit once more. But Harry blocked her path and he explicated. "Like I said before…you're not leaving till you tell me why you wanted the photo?"

"I have a class to attend and I'm late…" Shauna started.

"Well… that's really none of my business… is it?" Harry was mocking as he folded his arms together. "Now… if you please, explain…"

Shauna looked away. Harry didn't think she was going to answer, and therefore he decided to use some extreme measures. He took his wand out and simply said. "_Obfirmo_."

The dormitory door at once clicked as if it was firmly locked.

"What the hell are you doing?" Shauna demanded angrily as he looked at Harry right in the face. "I want out… NOW!"

"It's a real simple matter, Swirl!" Harry insisted quite angry. "I'm not asking for a fight. Just tell me why you wanted that photo and I'll let you go."

"I'll tell you in your dreams, Potter." Shauna declared as she reached for the doorknob and twisted it. It wouldn't give away and so Shauna tried again. "You think you're so smart, Potter? Well, two can play this game…" Shauna voiced crossly as she reached for her wand and shouted. "_Alohomora!_"

Nothing happened… there was no clicking noise or anything. Shauna scowled at Harry and yelled a second time. "_Alohomora!_"

"It's not going to work." Harry announced triumphantly. "Just give it up!"

"I'm not a quitter!" Sparks blazed from Shauna's eyes. Raising her leg, she kicked the door with all her might.

"Shauna…" Harry ordered. "Stop it! You're just going to hurt yourself. The door can't be kicked down!"

"Why do you care if I get hurt, Potter?" Shauna demanded heatedly, twisting around to face him.

"I don't." Harry replied, quite embarrassed. "I just don't want my door to get scratched."

Shauna looked at him. "Fine! Fine… Alright! You win… I'M SORRY!"

"I didn't ask for an apology." Harry face creased with anger. "I asked for an explanation!"

"That's a personal matter!" Shauna screamed.

"I'm a personal matter? Is that why you took my picture." Harry demanded. "For God's sake, Swirl! What the hell are you thinking? You can't just…"

"Fine… Fine…" Hot tears were running down Shauna's cheeks as she suddenly softened. "You just… you remind me so much of him…" She sat down on one of the beds and began to sob.

Harry was stunned. He didn't expect this at all. "Who?"

It took some time for Shauna to answer. "Someone from my past. Someone… who was extremely dear to my heart…"

It was a very awkward situation as Harry suddenly realised that he knew absolutely nothing about Shauna and the terrible ordeals she might have gone through.

Harry was hesitant to ask this but he did anyway. "How… how was I similar to him…?"

Shauna looked up at him with tears, lost in her memories. "He had been so brave… so valiant. But most of all he… had a kind heart, and everybody had loved him for that."

"You're using the word 'had'. Are you implying that he's dea… I mean… that he… doesn't exist anymore?" Harry wanted to know.

Shauna nodded her head and burst into tears again.

"I'm sorry…" Harry mumbled sincerely. "How did he die?"

Shauna seemed very upset now. "Life is _so_cruel! They were just taken away from me as if they didn't mean a thing to me! But you know what… I had loved them… and I still love all of them madly…. because they were the only ones who truly cared about me. And now… all of them are gone… GONE!"

Harry bit his lip. Who was Shauna talking about?

She continued. "Sometimes… I hate this place… Hogwarts. I hate it because it's so different… and yet so similar." Facing Harry with hot tears, she went on. "I feel… as if I've been brought to a strange but familiar world, but I have no control over it."

Curious, Harry asked. "Why is Hogwarts familiar to you?"

Shauna was uncertain whether to reply or not, but she eventually did. "I have seen it in my dreams. It had been very vague… and I have always known I wasn't a normal person. I always knew that a bizarre power existed in me… But never in my wildest dreams had I thought it would all come this… like this very moment!"

Harry listened quietly, but he still couldn't understand who had died. It was obvious that Shauna was still extremely heartbroken over them.

"Shauna…" Harry tried to comfort her. "You told me yourself that sometimes it's best to let someone go. You have to move on…"

"But it still bloody hurts!" Shauna shouted. "And you know what? I always feel that they are around me all the time… all of them. But I can't talk to them or be close to them like it was before. And that hurts even bloody more!"

"Shauna…"

"Nobody loves me…" she sobbed.

"What about your family, Shauna?" Harry suggested. "They must love you…"

Shauna looked up at him. "Of course my parents love me… but it still isn't the same."

What was she talking about? Harry wondered. Who could love Shauna more than her parents?

"I really wish … that this… witch thing hadn't been put upon me!" Shauna was firm about it. "I wish…"

"You can't run away from your destiny… Shauna." Harry argued. "It's your responsibility."

"Is it?" Shauna wanted to know, standing up. "But can you bear your destiny if it's too much of a burden for you? Can you keep up with your responsibilities and lose everyone who means the world to you? No… Harry, that's a price I'm never willing to pay!"

Harry was silent for a moment but then he said. "Climb over the wall, Shauna."

"What?" she was confused.

"You've built a wall around yourself. And you're afraid to pass it and start a new life. I believe that's why you love to dress in that hideous way and act like such a creep. But from the inside… you're none of those things, I know it."

"Really?" That surprised Shauna. "How do you know?"

"Come on… Jenna Parker?"

Shauna's face fell. "How did you know…?"

"You'll learn someday, that I have some very sneaky skills as well as other talents." Harry exclaimed which brought an unexpected smile to Shauna's face.

"I see." She was observing him carefully.

"Who were the people that passed away…?" Harry asked out-of-the-blue. "And why did they mean so much to you?"

Shauna was momentarily shocked. "I can't tell you this…"

"Why not?"

"Because…" Shauna explained. "I just can't. But maybe… I will, someday."

He was disappointed. "I understand. So, are you willing to climb over the wall?"

"I can't change myself into someone I'm not…"

"But…" Harry began.

"Thanks for the advice… Harry." Shauna interrupted. "But it's best that I leave now." With that she started to head for the door.

"Wait…" Harry called after her, as he grabbed his photo off his dresser. "You can have this… if you want."

Shauna looked at the picture and then said. "Thank you, Harry… but I don't think I should. Maybe… it _is_ better… to finally learn to let go."

Harry sighed, as he grabbed his wand and uttered the counter curse to the locking spell.

The door swung open, and Shauna stepped out. "Thank you, Potter…" And she left.


	13. Revelations

**------------------------ ****CHAPTER**** 13: Revelations ------------------------******

"Where have you been?" Ron demanded as he burst inside the dormitory. "Why didn't you show up at the library?"

Harry opened his mouth to say something but Ron cut him off.

"And don't give that lame excuse that you ran into Shauna Swirl and had another blow with her!"

Harry had to grin at that. "No… that wasn't it!" he somehow managed to lie just as Hermione entered the room with huge stack of books in her arms. She dropped all of them on Harry's bed and took a deep breath.

"That was tough." She exclaimed shaking her head. "Thanks for the big help, Ron!" It was a sarcastic statement.

"Well, if Harry here hadn't disappeared off like that…"

"It doesn't matter anymore!" She faced Harry and uttered. "You won't believe what we've found out."

"What is it?" Harry exclaimed excitedly.

"Hold on…" Hermione declared firmly. "I'm going to explain it to you in a step by step process. Now…"

"Awww… Hermione!" Ron moaned; he seemed quite irritated. "Just get to the point."

"No!" she insisted angrily facing him. "It's important that Harry understands everything." It took a few moments for Hermione to calm down. She sat down on Harry's bed and opened one of the bulky volumes as she began. "At first, Ron and I were looking for green spheres in these books. We searched for a long time… but there was absolutely no trace of it in any of them. I even tried a quick spell on some of the books, but again… it just wasn't there."

"So what did you do?" Harry was curious.

"Well, we decided to think this in whole another new angle." Hermione continued, flipping through the pages. "And so I began to wonder why the sphere was shown to you in the first place. There must be an analytical reason for this. Therefore I resolved that it _must_ be a message of some sort."

Harry narrowed his eyes in interest. "You mean the sphere was trying to tell me something?"

"That's what we thought then. And we were right!" Ron affirmed. "Apparently, someone or something has sent you this sphere revelation."

Harry was taken aback. "A _Revelation_!"

"Yes… very similar to the divine manifestation." Then Hermione motioned Harry to look at the book she was holding in her lap. "There are many ways to send revelations. And there are different ways of sending it to different sorts. I mean, to send a revelation to an elf would be completely opposite to the one you would want to send a giant. Similarly, each entity in this universe has their own way of sending revelations. Wizards and witches have a variety of options such as a bolt of lightning, fire, a fierce whirlwind etc. They can even propel their message in dreams."

"Then which entity uses the sphere…?" Harry wanted to know.

Hermione bit her lip as she looked up at him. "That's what we can't find out. It's not mentioned in any one of the books. Therefore, we have no absolutely no idea _who_ might have sent you the sphere."

She paused for a moment. "But the good news is that we did find some information about using the sphere as a source of a revelation." She handed the bulky book to Harry. "See… the unknown entity uses the power of the 'devoveo' to route the sphere revelation to its receiver."

"What's 'devoveo'?" Harry asked.

"It's a Latin word." Ron explained. "Translated roughly, it means to consecrate."

"I see." Harry nodded his head, then facing the book again. There was a picture of a green sphere, quite similar to one he had seen. "But what exactly was the sphere trying to tell me?"

Hermione sighed. "According to the books, a green sphere symbolizes a predetermined prophecy…"

"Are you serious?" Harry's eyed widened with shock. "A _prophecy_…?"

"Yes indeed, we're serious." she snapped. "I didn't waste hours at the library coming up with jokes for you, Harry. And yes… it signifies a prophecy, which is directed only at its receiver, which of course, is _you_!"

"I'm involved in a prophecy?" Harry mocked, not believing a word of it. "Alright… then, what precisely was the sphere's message?"

"Well… in the prophecy, you're supposed to do exactly what the sphere was doing in the revelation." Ron announced.

This was just too much for Harry to take. "Are you two crazy? The sphere was expanding in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Are you implying that I'm going to swell up like a balloon and turn into…um… Dudley?!"

"Harry…" Hermione voiced. "Listen, we're just coming up with the most reasonable explanations. And I'm just telling you what I read in these books. In fact, I could be entirely wrong, since we have absolutely no clue to what it might _really_ mean."

"What's gonna happen in the future that I would need to expand or grow myself?" Harry demanded his two best friends.

"We don't know anything, Harry." declared Ron firmly, looking at his best friend in the eye. "And that's why we need more information."

"What do you mean?"

"Ron means, we can only hope that the mysterious entity tries to send you an another revelation." Hermione made an attempt to clarify the hazy theories. "The previous one was very vague. There are so many things we need to find out to make proper sense out of all this. For instance, when will the prophecy come true? What do you need to equip yourself to face the challenges that might be suddenly thrown at you? Is anyone else involved in the prophecy? And most importantly, what are the exact contents of this Prophecy?"

"I don't want to be included in any stupid prophecy!" Harry exclaimed. "I just want to live my own life!"

"You can't avoid it, Harry…no matter how hard you try it." Ron was being realistic. "Prophecies just don't pop up like chores. They come once in a million years. You should be honored to be involved in one."

"I really don't want to do anything…" Harry started.

"Look…" Hermione cut-in. "For all we know, the prophecy might not come true for a long time. In fact, it might not happen at all. Perhaps, it was just a mis-routing of revelations."

"I don't think that there was any mistake. But I still don't understand who would send it to me?" Harry insisted, pacing back and forth his dormitory.

"Maybe that doesn't really matter." Ron considered. "Maybe you just need to follow it."

"This has been really topsy-turvy!" Harry spoke, shaking his head. "I feel as if I have to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders."

Ron grinned as he openly winked at Hermione and grinned. "And we'll help you to share that tremendous burden."

"Please… I welcome you two." Harry uttered.

"Oh…" Ron exclaimed suddenly. "There's going to be a small Halloween party at Hogsmeade. I was thinking it might be good idea for the three of us to have a bit of fun on Halloween. What do you think?"

"What kind of party?" Hermione wanted to know.

"They're doing it the muggle way from some bizarre reason. A costume party." Ron answered.

"A costume party?" she echoed in delight. "I haven't been to one in years! Oh please… let's go!"

Harry remembered the horrible times with Dudley on previous Halloweens, before he had started Hogwarts. He had always been given the white sheet ghost costume every year, while Dudley dressed up as a prince or a super hero. All the other children used to tease him to death, it had been so horrifying. Perhaps with Ron and Hermione, it would be different and Harry would be able to enjoy a Halloween costume party for once.

"I don't see any reason why we shouldn't attend the party." He announced.

"Excellent." Ron asserted. "I have already planned my costume. I was thinking about going as an extremely hairy ape."

"Wait a minute, Ron." Hermione breathed. "Why can't you…" she stopped as her face flushed scarlet.

"Why can't I… what?" Ron asked.

Hermione bit her lip and she looked away. "Nothing."

Harry eyed her and laughed out loud. "Ron, she means she doesn't want to be associated with a primate."

"Why not?" Ron demanded facing Hermione. "Apes are creatures of immense intelligence."

"As well as of immense hideousness." Hermione retorted. "Why can't you go as a charming leader, a man of royalty or something."

Ron's face fell. "But… an ape can…."

"Why don't you dress up as Harold the Handsome, from Chudley Cannons." Harry suggested with a plastered grin on his face. "He's the most charming chaser in the world."

"That's an excellent idea!" Ron exclaimed, as his face brightened up. "I could rent the Chudley Cannon's uniform from The Qudditch Shop at Hogsmeade!"

Hermione also seemed quite pleased with this idea. "What about you Harry? Any ideas for your costume?"

"I'm not too sure." Harry wondered. "What do you think?"

"Well…" Hermione utter quite amused as she eyed him from top to bottom. "I think girls would be screaming with joy if they see you as a… dashing leader, a man of royalty."

"That's what you said to Ron." complained Harry. "Besides I don't want girls screaming over me."

Ron chucked out loudly. "What about a pirate? Complete with a black eye patch and 'Shiver me timbers' speeches! That would definitely repel all the girls away from you."

Raising his eyebrows, Harry spoke. "That doesn't sound so bad. Maybe, I will."

"And Hermione…?" Ron serenaded in a whispery voice.

She gave away one of her mysterious smiles. "It's going to be a surprise."

"What?" Ron fussed. "Please, do tell us…"

"Yes…please do!" Harry chimed in, getting into the Halloween spirit.

"No… No!" Hermione was persistent. "You'll see it at the party. Where is it going to be held, by the way?" she asked Ron.

"At Mulberry's." The reply was instant. "It's sort a club where people can eat and dance."

"Then it's settled." Harry disclosed. "Party at Mulberry's on Halloween."

**-----------------------------------------------------------------**

(A/N: Lots of reviews plz... I want to know if you like the way the story is turning out. Thnx!)


	14. Hatred is as Slow as Poison

**------------------------ ****CHAPTER 14: Hatred is as Slow as Poison ------------------------******

Ron swayed his head to the beat. "I just love this song. It's the best!"

"Definitely!" Harry agreed as he and Ron entered the Mulberry Dance club. "I know… Wella Spookster is an excellent singer."

"I didn't expect that so many people from Hogwarts would show up here." Ron seemed surprised. "This was supposed to be a small and discrete party." He shifted his Chudley Cannon broomstick to his other hand.

Harry was in agreement. "I know. The only person I haven't seen from Hogwarts is Neville Longbottom and a couple of Ravenclaws."

"Hermione's still not here, is she?" Ron asked anxiously, as he glanced at the dancing crowd.

"I don't think so." Harry answered.

"You don't believe … that something happened to her?" Ron was skeptical. "Do you?"

Harry had to laugh out loud. "Ron! You know how girls take ages to dress up. She probably had to put some lipstick on something. Don't worry."

"I hope you're right."

"Damn…." Harry muttered in an irritated tone. "This pirate eye patch is really driving me mad. I can't see anything with my left eye."

"Take it off then." Ron suggested, glimpsing at the entrance in chance of spotting Hermione.

"No… Forget it." Harry decided. "The costume would lose its effect then." It had taken Harry exactly two days to bring this pirate outfit together. He was wearing black shabby pants with patches all over it. His white shirt was torn from many places that gave the effect as if he had just been in a fight. There was a sword slung around his waist and it was a real one. He had borrowed it from the knight in suit of armour who stood in the East hallway at Hogwarts.

Harry didn't have to mess his hair up for the rugged pirate look. It was already accomplished, like always. Even after all these years, Harry still couldn't tame his hair to appear neat and orderly.

Ron, however looked entirely opposite of Harry. While Harry gave away a mysterious and cryptic appearance, his best friend radiated the look of a charmer. The orange Chudley Cannons uniform was looking quite impressive on him. In fact, he didn't seem much different from the attractive Professor Gilderoy Lockhart, only if you subtracted the attitude. And Ron was attracting attention of many girls, including the ones who weren't from Hogwarts.

"Why don't you go and ask someone to dance with you?" Ron implied with a strange grin on his face.

"Don't be daft." Harry shook his head.

Ron grabbed Harry and questioned. "Are you still hung upon her?"

Harry froze in fear. Had Ron figured out about Ginny? "W… who are you talking about?"

"Cho Chang, of course." Ron mentioned. "I know it was hard for you when she left Hogwarts two years ago. But Harry, you need to move on."

Harry let out a breath of relief. "Oh… her. Yes, I'm over her."

"Then why don't you ask someone to dance." Ron insisted. "Alright, why don't we make a deal? Choose any girl here and ask her for just one spin. And I will do your homework for one whole week."

Harry was impressed. "Homework for a whole week?"

"Yes." Ron assured.

Harry raised one of his eyebrows. "And can I choose _any _girl I want?"

Ron nodded his head. "Yes, but provided that you ask her now."

Just then Harry saw Hermione approaching them and suddenly he had a great idea. "And can I kiss her if I want?" he asked Ron.

"Of course, of course." Ron appeared very happy.

"Fine," A devious smile formed on Harry's lips. "I choose her." He made a dash towards Hermione side who was dressed up as a queen. "Hullo Hermione. Would you like to dance with me?"

"What the hell…?" Ron's mouth dropped with surprise. "Harry… you can't!"

"Sorry Ron." Harry shrugged his shoulders playfully. "But you _did_ say 'any girl'."

Hermione seemed amused. "What's going on?"

Harry flashed another crafty smile at his best friend and then faced Hermione. "You look wonderful, tonight. Come on… let's dance." He offered his arm to her and then led her away to the dance floor, leaving Ron in a state of shock and a slight touch of anger.

"What's happening?" Hermione wanted to know as Harry twirled her around.

Harry briefly explained her everything and Hermione giggled in delight.

"Just pretend that you're having a fireball of fun with me." Harry whispered in her ear.

"No problem." she answered as she danced closer with her best friend. "Ron needs to get over this jealousy thing."

Taking small peeks at Ron, Harry chuckled when he saw his face. Ron appeared quite frustrated, and his face was turning beat red with embarrassment. And a few minutes later, Harry and Hermione were back with him.

"Oh…" Harry said as if he suddenly remembered. "The deal was also that I kiss the _girl_."

Ron possessively put his arms around Hermione and exclaimed. "Don't you dare, Potter!"

Harry doubled over with laughter. "Calm down, Weasley! I was just joking!"

"Is this your idea of a joke?" Ron demanded; he was red in the face with fury. "Well, it's not very funny!"

"Ron…" Hermione came to Harry's defense. "We were just doing it to get you steamed up. So why don't you relax."

It took Ron Weasley a good six minutes to finally let it go. "But don't ever do that again." He warned Harry.

"We won't." Harry promised for the third time with a smile. "Besides, you know that…" But Harry had to stop. That smile disappeared off his face and it was replaced with a look of complete surprise.

"What's wrong?" Hermione went worried.

Harry couldn't believe it! Was it really her…? Were his eyes deceiving him? Did Harry just see Ginny Weasley…?

Without a word, he hurried towards where she was standing. Behind him, Harry heard Ron call out his name but he ignored his friend.

She was gone. Harry quickly scanned each face in the crowd, but Ginny was nowhere to be seen.

He stopped to catch his breath. Ron and Hermione were at his side in moments.

"What's the matter, Harry?" Ron wanted to know.

Harry shook his head. "I thought… I thought that… I saw Ginny."

"What?" Ron shrieked as his face cringed in pain. It was apparent that he didn't want to be reminded of his dead sister that instant.

"I'm sorry." Harry muttered, looking extremely pale. "It must have been a mistake."

"Harry…" Hermione started. "Don't worry about it. Sometimes, these disco lights play nasty tricks on the eyes. You must have seen someone else who looked like Ginny."

Suddenly a voice behind the trio exclaimed. "Harry didn't see Ginny. He had seen me..."

It was Shauna and all three of them turned around to face her.

Hermione let out a terrifying gasp when she saw Shauna and Ron roared. "You damn bitch! How dare you!"

Shauna smirked as she twirled around to fully expose her costume. "Do you guys like it?"

Harry was in complete shock. It wasn't just possible. Shauna was dressed as Ginny…

"Isn't it perfect?" Shauna cooed in joy. "I couldn't think of anything better." She had dyed her hair red and had styled it in two braids, exactly the way Ginny used to plait her hair before she had died. Shauna was wearing a maroon Weasley jumper with the letter 'G' on it in yellow, along with a bottle green plaid skirt. Her white socks were rolled down exactly the way Ginny used to do. Even her eyes had changed. Instead of a green colour, Shauna's eyes were now coffee brown, just like Ginny's...

"How could you do this?" Harry breathed, still in a trauma.

"What?" Shauna seemed disappointed. "Don't tell me it's not nice. I had spent hours on making it just right."

Ron was scrunching his teeth as he unexpectedly made an attempt to lunge at Shauna, but Hermione pulled him back. "No Ron… Don't!"

"I can't believe it!" Harry exclaimed, anger creeping inside his heart. "How dare you do this?"

Shauna folded her arms and demanded. "What? Dress up as Ginny? Well… if you people aren't aware, then let me tell you. This is a costume party!"

"She died _not _so long ago!" Harry screamed. "And some of us may still be mourning over her… you insensitive bitch!"

"So what?" Shauna chuckled. "Last I heard, you could still dress up as dead people. I mean, look at that Albert Einstein costume, or the Merlin the Magician one, right over there. Those are dead people but I don't see anyone else having a cow over them!"

With one swift movement, Ron stepped forward and slapped Shauna right across the face. "You have a lot of nerve doing this. And I'm not going to tolerate any of it when it comes to my sister!"

Tears were forming in Shauna's eyes as she touched her cheek where Ron had slapped her. "I thought you were all better than this." With that, she ran towards the exit and had disappeared in moments.

"Why would she do such a thing?" Hermione asked in horror.

Harry wasn't able to speak, so Ron answered, he was extremely angry. "Some people just have wretched souls and Shauna is just one of them." Then he looked at both of his friends. "I'm sorry, I don't think I can stay here a moment longer. I'm going back to Hogwarts."

"It's a good idea." Hermione solemnly agreed, the she turned towards Harry. "Coming?"

"Sure…" Harry muttered as he made his way towards the exit, with Ron and Hermione on his trail.

Their way back to Hogwarts was completely silent. Harry didn't think anyone of them had the willpower to get through the dragging night.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Harry couldn't fall asleep. How could he? The night was constantly roaring of thunder, and lightning flashed every two minutes or so. Besides, the heavy rain splattering on his window was loud enough to burst anyone's eardrums.

He lay in his bed thinking about what happened a few hours ago. Every time he thought that Shauna had some goodness inside her, she would ruin it by doing something extremely deplorable. Things like dressing up as Ginny Weasley for Halloween.

He knew Ron was very much hurt and in immense pain. It had taken him great effort and whole lot of time to subside the pain he felt for loosing his little sister. Now, it was probably surfacing again and it was all Shauna's damn fault.

Of course, Harry was hurt as well. He had really thought he had seen Ginny the first time around at Mulberry's. His heart had immediately perked up with joy, clinging for a desperate chance to see Ginny Weasley alive once more. Just once…

And what about Shauna? Harry was really beginning to feel something for her. She seemed to have lost so much and needed someone to comfort her desperately. Sometimes she appeared so wise and yet, so fully vulnerable. Harry couldn't deny it, but he had definitely witnessed some good in Shauna. But why did she always revert back to her evil side?

He couldn't figure her out. Was Shauna evil or good? Perhaps, she was just a really good fibber and all the things she had to Harry about herself, were all lies. And perhaps, she was telling the truth…

All of a sudden, Harry had to confront her. What she had done tonight was just utterly despicable. Dressing up as Ginny was like a thunderbolt that had struck him and Ron at the core of their hearts. She wasn't going to escape this that easily, and slapping her once wasn't enough.

Making sure everyone else in the dormitory were fast asleep, Harry quietly got up from his bed and carefully tiptoed towards the door. Minutes later he was striding towards the ex-storeroom. Hermione had told Harry a long time ago that none of the girls wanted to stay in the same dormitory as Shauna because of her repulsive temperament. So Professor McGonagall had given Shauna the extra store to use as a dormitory in order to avoid any nasty conflicts.

When Harry reached her room, he wasn't sure that he wanted to lock horns with her anymore. Maybe he should go back and do it in the next day or something. After all, it was two o' clock in the morning and she would probably be fast asleep.

But when Harry recalled what she had done last night, his temper began taking over his mind and body. All in one breath, he reached out for the door handle and twisted it. It opened easily and the next moment Harry was inside her room.

Shauna was standing right next to her bed. "What the hell are you doing here, Poopy Potter?"

_And what was she doing awake in the middle of the night_? Harry wandered as he saw that a large trunk was sitting on her bed, and Shauna seemed to be throwing her clothes in it.

"Are you going somewhere?" Harry suddenly asked.

There were tears in her eyes that Harry hadn't noticed before. She was facing him when she exclaimed irritably. "By Golly! You're smart, Potter. Yes I am… just can't stand this place anymore!

"Does Dumbledore know you're leaving?" he was quite surprised.

"No! I'm running away!" Shauna exclaimed, as she went towards her cupboard, pulled out of few more of her things and dumped them in the trunk.

"Buy why…?" Harry wanted to know as he took a stop closer.

"It's probably because of people like you and Ron and Hermione…!" Shauna almost screamed. "You have made my life so MISERABLE, that I have to get out here!"

"What?" Harry demanded getting extremely angry. "WE have made your life miserable? May I need to remind you, that YOU are the one who has made our lives completely TORMENTED!"

"I didn't…" Shauna started, but Harry exclaimed.

"And how dare you dress up like Ginny? How dare you do deprecate the memory of Ginny Weasley by doing this absurd act?" Harry was screaming and he didn't care if he woke up the whole of Hogwarts.

Shauna just stared at him and just shook her head sadly. "I didn't mean to deprecate Ginny Weasley in any way. It was supposed to be just plain fun."

"Fun?" Harry repeated, with his eyes widening in disbelief. "You just reminded Ron of his dead sister! Someone who was brutally murdered just a couple of months ago! Is that your idea of fun?"

Without warning, there was an explosion of thunder rumbling out the window. Both of them jumped in surprise, and Harry's heart began to beat faster.

There was complete silence for a few minutes, as the sounds of thunder and intense rain splashing went on into the night.

"I'm sorry..." Shauna finally muttered avoiding his gaze.

Harry nearly laughed out loud in ridicule. "Apologizing isn't going to better anything. The damage has already been done!"

"Well… it doesn't matter anymore!" Shauna declared. "Because I'm leaving! So Ron or Hermione or you wouldn't have to go through any more horrors with me!"

"Thank God for that!" Harry cried out. But at the same time he felt a pang of guilt, he didn't want Shauna to depart from Hogwarts, not yet.

"Good! I'm glad my leaving will make everyone very happy!" Shauna was sobbing again as she put last of her possessions inside the trunk and shut it. Then she grabbed her coat and scarf and while putting them on, she faced Harry. "It was nice knowing you, Potter. We could even have become friends, but I guess it wasn't just meant to be. Tell Ron and Hermione that I'm really sorry. Goodbye." With that she rushed towards the door, with the trunk in one hand and an umbrella in the other.

Harry's guilt overlapped all his emotions when he heard the word 'goodbye'. "Wait…" he called out. Shauna stopped, hesitant and slowly turned around. "Where are you planning on going?" Harry asked her.

She was lost in thoughts for a few seconds. "I don't think I'm cut out to be a witch… so I'll probably go back to the muggle world."

"Back to your parents?"

She shook her head unhappily. "I can't let them know that I've failed." Shauna paused for an instant. "I know this is going to sound absolutely ridiculous, but… I don't have anyone in this world." She left the room and Harry instinctively followed her.

"You can't just sneak out of here." Harry implied. "Besides, Hogwarts Express isn't going to London anytime soon."

"That's too bad." Shauna insisted as he reached the Fat Lady's Portrait and climbed out. "But I'll manage somehow. I just can't stay here anymore." Tears didn't stop rolling down her cheeks.

Harry bit his lip. Perhaps he had overlooked how hard it must have been for Shauna to be suddenly shoved in a whole new and strange world. He remembered his first few days at Hogwarts; he was excited then but also a bit afraid. But the apprehension soon disappeared because of people like Hermione, who alike him had no clue about magic and Harry had found someone he could relate to. And also because of people like Ron, who instantly became a magical friend.

Shauna didn't seem to have any of those advantages.

"You do know that it'll be terribly dangerous at a time like this?" Harry reasoned as he walked alongside with her. "You can't just go out alone. And it's raining like hell out there!"

She suddenly stopped and showed him her umbrella. "Why do you think I have this for?"

"That thing is not going to protect you from this terrible storm." Harry tried to explain. "And it's not wise at all to run away at this time of night…"

"Goodbye, Potter." Shauna was firm about it and she sprinted forward, dragging her trunk with her.

"It's firmly locked." Harry remarked when they reached the Great Gate. "You can't get out. Not even by magic."

"You really have to give credit to some muggle ways." Shauna said as she took out a pin from her hair and inserted in the keyhole. In minutes, she had managed to unlock the Giant doors and as she opened it, a great gust of wind pushed itself in, almost knocking both of them down.

"You don't have to do this…" Harry was letting her know. "Perhaps, if you'd talked it out with someone and they could agree to help you…"

She looked at him; teary eyed, as if it were the very last time she would ever see him. "You're a good person, Potter. I wish you well in life. Goodbye." With that she opened her umbrella and tumbled out in the midst of the pouring rain.

Harry stood there for a minute, thinking feverishly. Should he call someone? Or maybe it was the better to let Shauna go.

And was all this fair to her? Shauna had given up so easily, probably because no one had really given her a real chance. She was running away from who she was, and Harry realised that she would never be able to be a true witch nor a true muggle. She was stuck in between, and that was a torment no one should suffer from, not even someone like Draco Malfoy.

All of a sudden, there was bloodcurdling scream from the outside. Harry's spine tingled and he instantly realised that the cry had belonged to Shauna.

Harry forgot about making up his mind. He was only in his nightdress but he really didn't care. Without thinking, Harry immersed deep into the shattering storm, while thunder powerfully clapped just inches above him.

He finally saw her; his heart plunging deeper in immense fear. "Oh God…"

--------------------------------------------------------------------


	15. Wrath of a Storm

(A/N: The Fanfiction site wasn't downloading for a couple of days, so I couldn't post this chapter right away. Anyways, I want to THANK EVERYBODY for the lovely reviews. I just feel so happy when I read them. And I'm really glad that people actually like this story. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you so much!!!!!!)

**------------------------ ****CHAPTER**** 15: Wrath of a Storm ------------------------******

The wind howled again as it flew back into the air, hovered for moments above Shauna, and then charged at her with a fierce force of an enraged bull.

"Shauna! Hold on…" Harry shouted at the top of his lungs. Without delay, he ran towards her with heavy raindrops splashing against his dreaded expression, not knowing what to do to help.

"Oh no…" Shauna screamed again, her face was clouding with darkest fear as the powerful gale crashed into her. Instantly, she was lifted meters above the ground as the wind violently hurled her against a giant wall. With her eyes closed in immense pain, Shauna slowly slithered down to the muddy ground beneath her.

It took Harry only a few seconds to reach her side, his heart leaping out in fright. "Are you alright?"

"My arm…" she moaned, unhurriedly opening her eyes.

Harry immediately helped her up. "We've got to get inside, NOW!"

They started running towards Hogwarts, icy water splashing at their feet when the turbulent wind charged at them for a second time, wailing like a horrendous banshee.

He looked up at the gale, and Harry could have sworn that he saw two shadowy eyes glaring at him. At once, he realised there wasn't enough time to get into Hogwarts. In a flash, he put his arms around Shauna as both of them crouched down over the ground.

"H… Harry…" Shauna choked with fright. "What's happening…?"

"Just close your eyes…" Harry ordered. "And hold on to me, tightly!"

Shauna did just that, as the growling wind hit both of them with full intensity. Harry felt as if his face would be ripped apart from his body. He heard Shauna scream again, in fear of her life and that made him clutch her even more firmly. The rain was so damn cold that Harry believed that daggers were falling on him instead of water. The penetrating power of the wind was slapping against their bodies; constantly circling round and round with a raging force, as if trying to bring them closer to death.

The windstorm elevated into the air again as it propelled Shauna's trunk with it, dispersing its contents all over the place.

Harry immediately stood up. "Come… on!" He yelled. "Let's go!"

As fast as they both could, Harry and Shauna hurried towards the safety within the great walls of their school, as rain sprayed on their frightened faces. They were about to approach the Great Gate, when the howling wind suddenly appeared as it hoisted Harry into the air and tossed him so vigorously that he crashed down almost miles away from Shauna.

"Harry!" her voice was close to hysteria. Without the slightest trace of hesitation, she turned away from Hogwarts.

"No Shauna! Stay back!" Harry screamed over the booming thunder, but it was no use because she was already advancing towards him.

His left side was bleeding and it was hurting like hell. Harry looked fearfully up at the sky and the shadowy wind was wavering just above them. Its laments were sharpening and it was looking ready to strike again.

"Harry… you're hurt!" Shauna wept as she perched down beside him.

"We've got to get out of here!" Twisting on his bleeding side, Harry leapt on his feet and holding his breath despite the desperate need to fill his lungs. He grabbed Shauna's hand and made a frantic run for a nearby shed. They were inside its shelter a few seconds later, and Harry put his arms securely around Shauna once again.

"It's alive… isn't it?" she whimpered with tears in her eyes, as she clung onto Harry tighter.

"I don't know." Harry answered truthfully as he looked at her. "We can only pray that it leaves us alone." Taking short deep breaths, he silently listened to the continuous howling of the windstorm, while thunder mightily clamored against the dark skies.

Harry and Shauna held on to each other, each silently praying to God for their lives. As fearful minutes passed by, the intensity of the storm finally decreased and that ghastly wailing of the wind died at last.

Shauna nervously questioned. "Is it over?" But she didn't give Harry a chance to reply because she had broken into tears. "Oh… it was so horrible!"

He gently patted her head. "It's over… and we're safe." Harry embraced her even closer to him.

"Do you think we should try to go back to Hogwarts?" Shauna asked.

Harry shook his head. "Not yet. Not till this storm completely stops."

"Oh Harry…" Shauna cried in dismay, gazing at the scarlet wound. "You're bleeding!" She tried to press her hand against the cut to stop the blood from flowing.

"God!" Harry yelled out in pain.

"Sorry…" Shauna cited as she hastily tore off a part of her dress and bent down to tie it around his waist. "I hope this works."

"How's your arm?" Harry wanted to know, watching Shauna intently as she toiled quickly to stop his wound from bleeding further.

She looked up at him, and slowly voiced. "It's fine. It doesn't hurt anymore." The Shauna stood up against him, tears flowing down her cheeks. "Was…. it trying to kill us?"

"I honestly don't know… Shauna." Harry replied, downhearted. But that didn't stop him from wondering about the mysterious pair of eyes he saw in the wind. And it certainly did seem that it was alive from the way it continuously kept attacking him and Shauna.

She closed her eyes. "I shouldn't have tried to run away."

"What do you mean?" Harry questioned, suddenly growing tense.

"I should have kept my butt inside Hogwarts!" Shauna seemed extremely angry with herself. "But I didn't."

"What the hell are you talking about…? Shauna?" Harry demanded.

"I think it was after me…" she finally explained. "I believe it wanted me."

Harry shook his head. "The storm attacked both of us… remember?"

"No…" Shauna insisted. "It just wanted me…"

"And for what reason…?" Harry was confused.

"Because I tried to leave my place." Shauna exclaimed, her eyes swollen with tears. "And in the process, I put your life in danger. I'm so sorry…"

"I did what I had to do." Harry was firm, thoughtfully looking outside the run-down window.

"No Harry! You saved me…" she persisted, waving her head.

"Shauna…"

"I owe my life to you now." she continued. "How can I ever repay you? And I'm extremely sorry." Shauna uttered, with a deep sense of melancholy in her voice. "For all the nasty things I've said or done to you. You see… I thought I had a reason for it… but I know realize that I was wrong?"

"What was the reason?" Harry was curious.

Shauna bit her lip, hesitant to answer. "I… I wanted to be close to you in some way…. because… well, you reminded me of… him…"

"Your old boyfriend?"

"No!" she exclaimed, turning away as he cheeks flushed red. "He was never my boyfriend… I… was only in… he was just a good friend."

"Oh…" Harry breathed. "Do you miss him?"

Shauna sighed deeply. "I do… very much. Sometimes, I also wish that I had my old life back."

All of a sudden, a vigorous clapping of thunder made both of their hearts skip a beat. Harry was instantly reminded of the horrible episode that occurred just some time ago. He glanced at Shauna and she appeared to be in tears again.

"We could have died…" Shauna mumbled, with a sensation of pain in her heart.

Harry pulled her close to him, as Shauna continued to sob on his shoulders. "But we're alive…" he tried to comfort her. "And that's all that matters."

Feeling Shauna so near to his heart, catalyzed all these strange reactions inside Harry. He wanted to control them and then again he didn't, but they felt so intensely wonderful. He glanced down at Shauna's lovely face and smiled. "It's quite weird… we both have black hair and green eyes." He uttered in a joking style. "We could have been brother and sister."

Shauna made a disgusted face. "Don't say that… my brothers at home are enough of a nuisance. I don't want you to be added in that list as well."

"Still… you have wonderful eyes." Harry grinned as he gazed into them. Without even thinking, he slowly drew nearer and captured her mouth for a luscious kiss. He felt Shauna instantly jolt in surprise, but she didn't try to push him away. Instead, she succumbed in his arms, devouring all of him.

Shauna was soon returning Harry's kiss. But he wanted more than that; he needed Shauna under him and Harry wanted to go as far as love can take them.

Moments later, his hands were under her semi-dried blouse. "Shauna… I need you…"

Her eyes flung open in surprise, as she tried to back away. "No, stop it… I can't."

But Harry didn't let her go. "Why not…?"

"I just… can't."

"What's wrong?" Harry wanted to know. "It's not like we're too young to do it."

"I'm sorry…" Shauna muttered as she managed to push him away. "It brings back such horrible memories."

"Horrible memories…?" he echoed in shock. "What do you mean?"

"I don't think I want to tell you…" she spoke softly, turning away from him.

But Harry didn't fall to see tears of pain rolling down her cheeks. He grabbed and twisted her so she would face him. "Please tell me… what happened…?"

"No…"

"Shauna…" Harry tried to argue. "You know everything about me… my fears, my pain… But, I don't have a single clue about you, maybe except your name. And if anything dreadful had happened to you in the past, then you must let it all out. So why don't you tell me about it?"

"I can't…" was the reply that came from Shauna.

"Then try…" Harry pleaded her.

Shauna appeared as if she didn't know what to think. "I… I was… Harry, I was raped…"

"What?" His eyes widened with disbelief.

Shauna appeared to be choking on her tears, her head bowed in shame.

Harry looked at her, grimly and whispered. "Oh Shauna…I'm so sorry." At once, he was by her side and took her in his arms. "I'm so sorry."

Shauna cried on his shoulder. "It was terrible…" she managed to stifle.

"Must have been."

"He… he… took away what meant the most to me… and…" Shauna let it all out. "It was nothing to him…" she swallowed a sob. "With one swift movement… he had done it… and it was over…" She had to stop.

"That bastard." Harry stroked her hair. "I wish that there was something I could have done to stop all of this from happening…"

"But why?" Shauna was screaming. "What did I do to deserve all this? Why did God…?

No wonder Shauna had built a wall around herself. She was afraid that somebody would hurt her again. "It was all a test!" Harry tried to explain. "A test from God… and you have passed it with flying colours."

Shauna looked up at him. "What are you talking about? I have failed… I'm dead."

"No you're not." He eyed her seriously. "If you had failed or died, then you would be lying in your grave right this minute. Sorry to say, but I don't see any dirt around you."

It almost made Shauna laugh out loud, but she didn't.

"You're very strong Shauna." Harry was being truthful. "You have the will power of a dozen angels."

Shauna was looking dazed, as if searching her own mind for that suppressed pain. "What did you do to me?" She pushed away from him. "It doesn't hurt as much…"

"Of course it doesn't… You have to tell someone about your pain… so the burden can be shared. I have received some of your pain and now I have to endure it for life." Harry explained.

"I didn't mean to."

"No, Shauna. I asked for it. I wanted some pain." He looked at her, directly in the eyes. "It would have destroyed you…If you hadn't told me."

"What am I going to do?" Shauna seemed to wonder.

"He can never hurt you again." It was rational statement. "Because I'm here. And I would never let anything happen to you ever again. I promise you…"

"Yeah…" she uttered, drying her tears. "Too bad you won't be able to keep it."

"Of course, I will." Harry debated.

"No you won't." Shauna was stubborn about it.

None of them spoke for quite a while. The storm finally managed a total halt, and the dark sky seemed as black as ever.

"I think it's safe, now." Harry decided as he eyed Shauna. "We can go back to Hogwarts."

"Okay…" Shauna breathed as both of them cautiously headed outside the shed. The atmosphere was crisp and still, and it seemed safe enough. With that, both of them literally flew towards Hogwarts.

It took only ten minutes for Harry and Shauna reach the Gryffindor Tower. Both of them climbed inside it, and then stopped in the common room.

"Shouldn't you go see Madam Pomphrey about that wound?" Shauna suggested.

"It's alright. I'll go to her first thing in the morning." Then Harry took a deep breath and said. "I'm glad that's over. Please don't try to run away again, Shauna. Especially at night."

Shauna's lips broke into a tight grin. "Don't worry… I won't."

He nervously ran his hand through his hair. "Shauna, would you terribly mind… if I kissed to goodnight?"

Shauna's cheeks blush with deep red, as she mumbled. "I…"

All of a sudden, someone stepped outside of the dark shadows, and implicated sternly. "So this is where you disappear off to..."

Harry was startled. "Ron…?"

"You weren't in your bed and I had been worried sick." His best friend's face with filled with immense hatred. "And you're about to share a kiss with Shauna Swirl. How wonderful Harry… did you also fuck her?"

"It's not what it looks like…" Harry cried to explain, but Ron cut him off.

"Thank you… but I can think for myself." Ron almost screamed, then his face transformed into a sorrowful one. "Why… Why did you do this to me…? I thought you were my best friend, Harry…"

"I am…"

"And you go off; doing God-knows-what obscene things with someone I hate the most!" Ron shouted with anger blazing out of his eyes. "Someone… who attacked Ginny's memory… just hours ago!"

"Ron!" Harry exclaimed. "Listen to me…"

"I don't ever want to speak to you again!" Ron declared, rushing towards the boys' dormitory. "NEVER!"

Harry was a loss for words. In one night, he had found a friend, and also had lost one…


	16. Bitterly Defeated

**------------------------ ****CHAPTER**** 16: Bitterly Defeated ------------------------******

_Darkness had diffused everywhere and the sapphire mist seemed to be growing… Harry Potter wasn't able to see anything. Beyond the other side of the dreary fog, the answer's wailing cries were calling out to him. "Find me… release me…"_

_He made a swift jump into the mist trying to go through, but he landed upon nowhere. _

_He wanted so much to unlock the truth… expose the answers to everything. If only Harry could find his way through the mist…_

Harry opened his eyes. It had been a strange dream. And he couldn't help getting the feeling that he had seen it before.

-------------------------------------------------------

"… and we ran back all the way to the common room. Then suddenly, I wanted to kiss her and I was about to when Ron walked in on us. You know the rest. Hermione… what am I going to do?" Harry asked his best friend the next morning. The two were completely alone in the Hospital Wing. He was sitting on a bed and Hermione had pulled up a chair next to him

He looked at her, dreading what she was going to do or say. Harry had told Hermione everything about Shauna, as well as all the encounters with her, what Shauna had said to him, and including every single detail of last night's horrific incidents. "How I can I make it right with Ron again?"

Hermione shook her head, hopelessly. "I don't know. It is an extremely tight mess, and Ron _is_ extremely angry with you. For heaven's sake, he nearly killed me when I mentioned your name." Then she eyed her best friend, sternly. "And I still can't believe that you kept all of this a secret from me."

"I'm very sorry." Harry mumbled, downhearted. "I just feel so confused about everything. Shauna, Ginny, Ron… what happened last night…"

Hermione was about to say something when Madame Pomphrey suddenly appeared and spoke. "I have a bottle of wound-repair solution. It should do the trick." She opened the bottle and dabbed its contents on a clean sheet of bandage. "How did you manage this, Potter? Another fight, I presume?"

He meekly smiled at her. "No Madame. I just fell down the stairs." It was such a horrible cliché.

"Please lay back and lift up your shirt." Madame Pomfrey ordered, as she began to apply her medical skills on Harry's wound. "There you go. All done. Just rest here till for a couple of hours and you'll be right as rain. And Potter, will you do me a favour?"

"What…?" Harry was surprised. What did she want from him?

"Try not to hurt yourself anymore." Then the older woman looked towards Hermione. "Miss Granger, you have only ten minutes. Then you must leave…"

"Yes, Madame Pomfrey." Hermione breathed as she watched her go away, and then she faced Harry. "I want you to answer me truthfully." she declared. "What exactly do you feel for Shauna?"

Harry's face fell. "I can't say…"

"Listen, you need to come clean with your feelings before you can decide on anything." She was firm about it.

He was a loss for words. "I… do have this interest in her…"

"To what extent?" Hermione wanted to know, as she crossed her arms.

"I care about Shauna. She has grown on me… but I'm not sure why." Harry replied.

"Is it love…?" she suggested.

Harry didn't say anything. Instead, he lowered his head in his hands.

Hermione shook her head in disbelief. "Then, I can only assume that you do love her. What I don't understand, is how you managed to do that. Shauna seems so strange… and I always get this feeling that she's _not_ telling us the whole truth." At that moment, Hermione looked him in the eye and questioned. "Do you positively love Shauna?"

"I don't know…" Harry muttered, suddenly angry. "That's why I feel so lost… and confused. EVERYTHING is so damn confusing. And why the hell was that windstorm attacking us? I swear… it was alive, Hermione! It wanted to kill us…"

"Do you think it might have been you-know-who?" Hermione considered, now frightened.

"Voldemort?" Harry hadn't thought about him in a long time. "It is a possibility…"

"You need to be careful from now on." Hermione notified him. "If he is after you again, then it's not very wise to be taking any sorts of risks."

Harry was perplexed. "But how did he know that I was at the Great Gates yesterday? He can't be possibly watching me… can he?"

"I don't what Lord Voldemort is up to." Hermione disclosed. "He obviously has been lying low for quite a long time. As if he's planning something big. Harry, your scar… it hasn't been hurting?"

He shook his head. "It hasn't for long time."

"Then we can safely assume that Voldemort is _not_ after you." She spoke softly. "But then again, we can never be too sure when it comes to someone like the Dark Lord."

"Is there any way you can find out about the attacks?" Harry wanted to know.

Hermione bit her lip, thinking. "I'm not very certain. I'll have to look up spells in the library."

"Ron's not going to speak with me, is he?" Harry breathed. "I really need to explain him about Shauna. Maybe he'll understand how I feel about… "

"Harry…" Hermione interrupted. "Ron isn't going to compromise anything on Shauna. He hates her as much as he detests Lord Voldemort."

"I have got to try…" Harry insisted.

"No, you have got to make a choice." Hermione announced. "You either choose your friendship with Ron… or whatever it is you have with Shauna."

Harry closed his eyes in despair. As much as he wanted to deny it, he knew deep down that Hermione was right. Ron would never understand about Shauna.

"So… what will it be, Harry?" Hermione wanted to know.

"I have to think about it." Harry decided. "Just give me some time."

Hermione gently squeezed his shoulder. "Don't worry… everything will turn out fine. I'll see you later." With that she headed towards the door and soon disappeared from Harry's view.

"So…" he muttered to himself. "Will it be Shauna… or Ron." Why couldn't he have both of them? No, it wasn't just possible.

Ron was more than just a best friend to him; he was a loyal brother. Their friendship had lasted for so many years and was Harry prepared to back out from it because of some girl? There was definitely no doubt that he had hurt Ron very much. Harry owed it to him to shove Shauna out of his life. That was the least he could do…

And what about Shauna? Was he really falling in love with her? Had he really set Ginny aside and let Shauna enter his heart? No… he still loved Ginny with all this heart and soul, but Harry was also falling for Shauna. Was it possible… to be in love with two girls at once? And was his new-found love for Shauna more meaningful than his years of friendship with Ron? No, it wasn't…. But Harry felt that it was just as important. Sometimes… Shauna seemed so insecure, and all Harry wanted to do was to be there for her… always.

It didn't take Harry an ounce of intellect to figure out that this was going to be one of the toughest decisions of his life.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Hermione was back after three hours. "Feeling any better? How's the wound?"

"I think it's done healing." Harry replied sitting up on the hospital bed. "So how's Ron doing?"

She raised her eyebrows. "Well, he still refuses to talk about you…"

"That's just lovely!" Harry exclaimed in exasperation.

"So have you decided…?" Hermione seemed curious, as she carefully observed Harry's expression.

Harry didn't say anything for a few moments. "I haven't actually…"

"I see…" Hermione breathed. "I can understand that it's not an easy decision to make."

He tried to make things clear. "I just wish that I could have both their friendships."

"Why don't you leave it for now…?" she urged Harry. "Let's go down to lunch. It will start in a few minutes." Hermione helped him to get up from the bed and soon they were both heading towards the Great Hall.

All of a sudden, Harry spotted Shauna in a nearby corridor. "Shauna…" he exclaimed and rushed after her.

"Wait… Harry!" Hermione called after him, as she followed her best friend's trail.

"Get away from me, Poopy Potter!" Shauna seemed satanically fierce.

Harry was taken aback, so was Hermione.

"We need to talk…" Harry informed as he turned towards Shauna.

"Listen, you jerk!" she yelled in his face. "I HATE YOU! Did you get that? So make an effort to get out of my life!"

"Shauna…" Harry uttered. What was wrong with her? Why was she acting this way?

"And let me tell you…" Shauna tried to explain, her face burning with rage. "I _love_ hurting people. Especially ones with good hearts… and you instantly had popped up as a potential victim for my games."

Harry was shocked.

"What are you talking about?" Hermione demanded.

Shauna looked at her and smirked. "This is all a game, you half-witted git. Don't you see? I was playing with Harry. All of this was a GREAT act! Everything I had told Harry about myself are complete lies!"

"You're lying!" Harry accused, his heart instantly feeling like lead.

"I'm not, sweetheart." Shauna was firm about it as she laughed to herself. "Seriously, I should be getting an Oscar for this. By the way, that's the highest reward a muggle actor can get. So why don't you two congratulate me."

Hermione narrowed her eyes in anger. "And what about last night when that gale attacked you? Was it an act as well?"

Shauna's grimace was instantly wiped away. "That… that was beyond my control. I didn't plan it… "

Hermione was rounding on her. "Then shouldn't you be worshipping Harry for saving your pitiable life?"

Shauna was glaring at Hermione as she exclaimed. "He didn't do anything… in fact, he was the one who put me in danger!"

"You bitch!" Harry cried out loud, as he moved forward but Hermione stopped him.

"And what about the things you told Harry in the shed yesterday, during that horrible storm?" Hermione charged. "Were those lies as well?"

"Yes…" Shauna muttered, abruptly growing scared.

"So you're saying…" Hermione began but Shauna cut her off.

"Listen to me!" she was shouting at the top of her lungs. "I have already gotten the satisfaction of hurting Poopy Potter, here. His best friend Weasley is willing to choke him to death, and I'm extremely delighted. Therefore, my task is completed and I don't want any further interaction with anyone of you!"

Hermione let out a breath as if she just figured something out. "I see what's happening here…"

"No you don't see!" Shauna yelled as sparks flew from her eyes. "I'm glad I'm deteriorating people lives, especially Potter's and Weasley's! So watch out, Granger… because I might get you one of these days!"

"Are you threatening me?" Hermione demanded, crossing her arms and stepping closer.

Harry also moved closer and warned Shauna. "You lay a hand on Hermione and you'll pay dearly for the rest of your life."

"I don't get scared easily, Potter!" Shauna clamoured. "You'd better watch out as well… because I might do something that will cost you more than your despicable life. And that'll be your sanity!" with that she stalked off towards the Great Hall.

"I can't believe it…" Harry proclaimed. "What the hell is wrong with her?"

Hermione was deep in thought. "Shauna's a very smart person…"

"What are you talking about…?"

"Very smart…" Hermione repeated. "I just saw Ron around the corner. He had been watching us all along."

"Ron?" Harry exclaimed, quickly glancing around the area. "Where?"

"He's gone now." Hermione explained. "And Shauna _also_ knew that he was near."

"So…?" Harry didn't know where this was leading.

"Don't you see, Harry?" Hermione was clarifying. "Shauna is trying to save your friendship with Ron."

"What?" It seemed impossible to Harry.

"She only said all of those things, so Ron could hear them and eventually determine that it hadn't been your fault, but Shauna's." pointed out Hermione.

"She was lying?" Harry felt astonished.

"Yes." Hermione voiced. "And I believe, _now_ is the time you should patch up things with Ron."

"But what about Shauna….?" Harry wanted to know. "I can't just leave her…"

"That will be dealt later." Hermione promised as she headed towards the Great Hall. "Come on, I'm starving."

Harry followed her silently. He didn't know what to think.


	17. The Many Faces of Death

**------------------------ ****CHAPTER**** 17: The Many Faces of Death ------------------------******

Christmas Holidays had arrived, and Harry immediately signed up to remain at Hogwarts. Hermione had also decided to stay this time around; she needed her access to the school library to study.

Harry hadn't seen Ron's name on the list when he had gone to sign up. He had instantly felt a wave of sadness wash over him. This would be very first Christmas… without Ron.

But at least, after a dragging month, he and Ron were finally on speaking terms. Harry had almost skipped with joy, when Ron had asked him to pass the potatoes at dinner, just a few days ago. And thank goodness for those projects Professor McGonagall assigned; that had given Harry a couple of chances to speak with his 'best' friend, as he and Ron were in the same group.

"What a relief!" Harry exclaimed as he stepped out of the dungeons from a dreadful potions lesson. "A whole week of holiday!"

"Who else is staying during Christmas?" Hermione asked as she walked alongside Harry. Both were heading towards Gryffindor Tower after a dreadful class of Potions.

"Well… no one from my dormitory." he was thinking. "In fact, I think we two are the only ones staying back from Gryffindor this year."

"Oh neat!" Hermione beamed with happiness. "At last, I have a chance to study in peace in the common room."

"Ahem… Hermione?"

It was Ron. Apparently, he wanted to talk her… without Harry.

She hastily gave Harry an I'll-talk-to-you-later look and dashed away with Ron.

Harry sighed deeply as he watched his two best friends disappear from sight, and then he casually continued towards the Gryffindor Tower. Harry began thinking about the horrible month he just had had. The nightmares were returning, about Lord Voldemort, his parents and Ginny's brutal death… For many nights, Harry had trouble sleeping. He would just lie on his bed, thinking about the millions thoughts of world and trying to decipher what they could mean. But none of them really ever made any sense to him.

"Staying here again, Potter?" Seamus Finnigan asked Harry, as he caught up with him.

Harry answered. "Yeah…"

"I'm going home and you won't believe it… I'll be meeting the Ravenous Razors… you know, the greatest Qudditch team ever!" Seamus informed excitedly. "I won the tickets to see their game with Chudley Cannons."

"Wow!" Harry was pleased. "It's gonna be a tough game. Their both excellent Quidditch teams."

"I know. That's why I'm so excited!" Seamus harmonised. "Gotta leave… have fun over the holidays, Harry." He smiled and quickly went away.

Harry reached the Fat Lady's portrait, gave the password and climbed inside. He met a few Gryffindors, who were extremely cheerful about leaving for the holidays. He wished them all of them a happy holiday and then headed towards his dormitory.

When he entered, he found Ron sitting on the bed. Harry cleared his throat and slowly went in the direction of his bed. It took him a few moments to realise that Ron had not packed at all.

"Are you staying?" Harry blurted out, not remembering that Ron was immensely angry with him.

Ron looked up at his 'so-called' best friend in surprise. He bit his lip, as if determining whether to answer Harry or not. He eventually did. "Yes, I am. Mum and dad have decided to go visit the Watsons, you know… our distant cousins from the north. Well… I'm not going anywhere near them because I hate them… especially their daughter, Annabelle. She… she…" Ron paused suddenly, getting very red in the face. "She seems to drool with delight every time she sets her repulsive eyes one me."

Harry chuckled lightly. "I think you've told me about her. Isn't Annabelle the one with the giant rabbit ears and uneven teeth?"

"That's her!" Ron grinned.

There was silence for a couple of minutes, as Harry was thinking of something to say to Ron. "So… what do you think…?

"I have to go do something." Ron interrupted and eagerly rushed out of the dormitory.

Harry bit his lip, quite happy as he said to himself. "That was definitely an improvement."

----------------------------------------------------------

_Harry knew that he must get on the other side. That's where he would find his peace… his tranquility. _

_This bluish mist was spreading once more, and darkness again, was enveloping everything in its path. _

_Without thinking, Harry lunged in the direction of the hellish cloud. Fortunately, he got through this time… he was inside the mist… but Harry was lost! _

_He frantically glanced everywhere. Where was the answer? Where was the truth?_

_All of a sudden, a red glow soared towards him. His scar began to hurt… it was an excruciating pain. At once, he put his hand on his forehead, but the pain wouldn't stop… it wouldn't end…_

_He could do nothing, but scream…_

Harry yelled in pain as he instantly sat up on his bed in the middle of the night. His scar was burning like hellfire. It was a tormenting agony, as he abruptly felt a jolt of pain exploding inside of him. His body was suddenly going into convulsions, as a heightening pain rippled through his chest. Harry screamed out loud and he fell off his bed.

"Is something wrong?" Ron looked up from his bed. His eyes were shadowing with fear when he saw Harry on the floor. In moments, Ron was beside his racketing body. "Harry… what's wrong?"

The pain was intensifying and Harry shouted again. His body wouldn't stop jerking.

"HERMIONE!" Ron suddenly screamed hysterically as he tried to hold onto Harry. "HERMIONE!"

With one more crest of pain, Harry's eyes gave up. He was blinded, as blackness now crawled upon his surroundings. "Dumbledore…" He managed to choke out as another wave of spasm hit him with full force.

"Harry… your eyes… They've gone all bloody…" Ron's tears were streaming down his face, as he looked at his best friend extremely frightened and spoke. "Just hold on…"

At that moment, Hermione tumbled inside the dormitory. "What's the…" She screamed aloud. "What's…?"

"Just call Dumbledore!" Ron shouted with passion. "NOW!"

Hermione timidly nodded her head as she rushed out of their dormitory.

Ron held him closer, as he sobbed. "Just hold on… Dumbledore is on his way."

Another piercing pain was bathing inside his body. Harry almost jumped up inches, trying his best to resist it. He was dying… the agonising death was nearing.

"What's happening to you?" Ron demanded through his tears.

Harry doubled in pain as blood began to spurt out of his nose. Numerous currents of pain continued to thrash his body and suddenly Harry wanted to give up.

"Come on… Harry!" Ron was pleading.

Dumbledore entered with a look of great fear. "What's wrong with him?"

Ron was almost breaking down. "He's having a s… seizure of some sort! He seems to be in tremendous pain…"

"Hold on tightly!" Dumbledore warned as he took out his wand and exclaimed a random counter curse. "_Reverto!_"

Nothing happened, except Harry screamed again in agony. The signs of life were slowly draining from his face and his eyes weren't green anymore, instead they were a blanket of blood.

The Professor tried another counter curse. "_Avexi Avectum!_" Once more, there was no change in Harry's plight. "I can't figure out what curse is this!" The white bearded man uttered.

"The Halting spell!" Hermione suggested. "Professor Dumbledore… use the Halting spell!"

"But that will stop _all_ spells. Including every single protection charm… and it will remove the immunity around Hogwarts…" Dumbledore was debating. "It might be a trap…" He was desperately thinking. "Nevertheless, there is no other choice if we want to save Mr. Potter's life. Miss Granger… without delay, you _must_ perform the Commencing spell right after I execute the Halting charm. Understand?"

Hermione gave a small nod, confirming that she well understood. Her hands were trembling, as she firmly grasped her wand.

Professor Dumbledore raised his wand. "_CONFUTO OMNIS MALEDICTIO!_" And then he exclaimed the exorcising spell to completely remove all traces of the alien curse. "_EXIMO!_"

Simultaneously, Hermione cried out. "_INCIPIO OMNIS MALEDICTIO!_"

Harry gave away a small moan of relief, and then fell into a plunging unconsciousness.

---------------------------------------------------------

"Hermione…" Someone was whispering. "I think he's waking up."

Then Harry heard footsteps nearing him, as a voice called out. "Harry… Harry… how are you feeling?"

He slowly opened his eyes. He couldn't see anything, except for darkness. But gradually, as light shown upon his eyes, his surroundings were getting in focus. Two anticipated faces were peeking down at him.

"How are you feeling?" The voice repeated. It was Hermione, and Ron was standing right next to her.

Harry blinked twice before he answered. "I'm fine…"

"You'd better call Madam Pomfrey and Professor Dumbledore." Ron implied to her. With a slight nod, Hermione left the Hospital Wing.

"What happened?" Harry felt completely confused.

"Harry…" Ron uttered as tears rolled down in face. "I thought that you were going to die…"

"I think I _was_ dying…" Harry agreed with remorse. "What the hell was happening to me?"

Ron looked at him; there was a hesitant flicker in his eyes. "Professor Dumbledore said… that someone was trying to curse you."

"Oh…"

"But you are going to be alright, now." Ron was affirming. "Dumbledore, himself performed all these weird protection spells around you."

"But who put the curse on me?" Harry wanted to know.

"We don't know." Ron sighed. "Hermione tried to convince Dumbledore to find out, but he wouldn't allow it. He said the concerns for your safety are far more important than finding the culprit."

"Mr. Potter!" came a screeching voice from the entrance. It was Madame Pomfrey. "Thank goodness, you're alright. How do you feel?"

"I'm fine." Harry repeated, as he watched Dumbledore and Hermione enter the Hospital wing.

"Are you in any pain?" The nurse wanted to know.

Harry shook his head.

"That's good… that's very good." Madame Pomfrey said. "But you still need a lot of rest."

"How long has it been?" Harry was curious.

"Well…" Madame Pomfrey was calculating. "Christmas holidays are almost over."

"What?" Harry was overwhelmed. "I have been out cold for a whole week?"

"That is correct." Professor Dumbledore uttered as he came up beside Harry. "It was very fortunate that Miss Granger came to me on time. Or else, I believe we would have been attending your funeral, Mr. Potter."

"What kind of curse was it, Professor?" Harry wanted to know.

Professor Dumbledore pushed back his half-moon glasses as he spoke. "It was one… that was long forgotten in our time, for it was too agonising to be even spoken of. Its ancient diabolical power had slaughtered millions before. That's all I can say."

"But who performed it on me?"

"I can't tell you that, Mr. Potter." The older man insisted. "However, I can assure you that no harm will cross your way again as long as you are in Hogwarts."

Harry was disappointed. He _had_ to find out who cursed him.

"Better get some rest." Professor Dumbledore suggested. "I want you up and running as soon as possible." And he headed towards the door and vanished from everyone's sight.

Madame Pomfrey was warning Ron and Hermione. "I don't want the two of you to upset Harry in any way. I'll be back in ten minutes to stomp both of you out." Then she left the three of friends alone.

"Why isn't Dumbledore telling me?" Harry demanded. "I want to know who put the curse on me!"

Ron raised his eyebrows. "I'm sure there is a good reason why he doesn't want to…"

"Hermione…" Harry was saying. "You're a genius. You must know a spell or a charm that can catch who did it."

She was shrugging. "I might know…"

"Please…" Harry begged. "You've got to perform the spell. I have got to find out!"

"I know who did it…" Ron voiced.

"Who?"

"Who else?" he chorused. "Shauna Swirl!"

"Are you stupid?" Hermione jumped in. "She would never do such a thing."

Ron was getting steamed. "Of course, she did! Shauna is such a bloodthirsty devil, not so different from Voldemort. And didn't you hear her threatening Harry last month? What was it…? 'I'll do something that will cost you more than your despicable life. And that'll be your sanity.' I'm telling you… she's the one who cursed Harry!"

Hermione was shaking her head. "No, you're wrong. It was somebody else… but _not_ her."

"Why don't we just perform a spell and find out _for sure_." Harry implied.

"Harry's right. We don't have much of a choice." Hermione agreed. "Well… I'll go to the library to see what I can find out. Ron… meet me the common room after two hours." With that, Hermione left the room.

"Harry…" Ron started, his face softening. "I'm extremely sorry about that night… I was just so angry when I saw you with Shauna. I mean… I really wanted to kill you, then. But that was no excuse for saying all those terrible things. Will you forgive me?"

"Only if you can forgive me for not telling you about Shauna." Harry bargained.

"Put a stamp on it." Ron was grinning. "Apology accepted."

"Apology accepted." Harry echoed, as he looked at his best friend. "I don't ever want to fight with you again."

Ron was remembering. "I had never been so scared in my whole life. Harry, I really that you were dying last week… you seemed to be in so much pain…"

"Yeah…"

"I would have killed myself if you had died…" Ron was teary eyed. "I could have never forgiven myself…"

Harry embraced him. "Don't say that… I would rather… you kill the person who cursed me!"

"Mr. Weasley..." Madame Pomfrey commanded as she entered. "Out… NOW!"

Ron meekly smiled at Harry. "I'll see you later." And he left.

------------------------------------------------------------

(A/N: Reviews would be greatly appreciated. Thank you…)


	18. The Finder's Charm

(A/N: I don't believe it! I have just finished writing the EPILOGUE for this story. A great idea had hit me and I wanted to capture it down before I forgot it. And from now on, I'll be gearing the story towards the ending, though there is still a long way to go. I mean, I'll be starting some final events and explaining stuff etc. Hope you have enjoyed this story so far. Thanks to everyone for the reviews!)

**------------------------ ****CHAPTER**** 18: The Finder's Charm ------------------------******

"Harry…" Hermione was whispering as she anxiously glanced around the Hospital wing. "The potion is ready. Try to sneak into the common room after ten minutes. Okay?"

He nodded. "Will do."

"Be careful." She warned. "You don't want to get caught by McGonagall. She was in an exceptionally bad mood today."

Harry thanked her, and then said. "I hope it works."

"It will work all right." Hermione was assuring. "I better leave. Don't forget… ten minutes." She left Harry's bedside and headed in the direction of the exit.

Madame Pomfrey came strutting towards him. "If you need anything in the night, then just call into the fire. Sleep well, Harry." She turned off the lights with a flick wand of her wand and left.

Harry waited for exactly ten minutes and then carefully crept out from the uncomfortable hospital bed. He opened the door and cautiously peered outside. The hallway was empty and Harry instantly made a dash towards Gryffindor Tower. Minutes later, he was climbing inside the Fat Lady's portrait.

"What took you so long?" Ron asked as Harry approached them. Hermione was stirring a cauldron filled with a gory mixture.

"Is it done?" Harry wanted to know as he sat down next to the frothing cauldron.

"Just one more ingredient." informed Hermione. "Three drops of your blood."

"My blood?" Harry was puzzled. "Why?"

"Don't have a clue." she was saying. "It was written in the _Book of Extrinsic Sorcery_. In fact, I think I'll go over the ingredients once more, just in case." Hermione opened the book in her lap and read over. "A teaspoon of Bogart Bogies… check. Strand of Hinkypunk's hair… check. Ooze of a decafish… check. A bundle of purple grass… check. A cup of bat droppings… and check, plus three drops of blood of the victim."

Harry was horrified. "I don't have to _drink_ that… do I?"

"I'm afraid so, Harry…" she answered ruefully. "The Finder's charm won't work unless this potion is running through your veins."

Biting his lip with disgust, Harry questioned. "And what does this Finder's charm do?"

"It's a combination of both potions and a spell." Hermione was explaining, while she stirred the contents of the cauldron. "When the potion combines with your blood… the first spell will have to be said in order to figure out precisely what curse was put on you. And when the second one is pronounced, it will determine the culprit who performed it."

"I'll bet you anything that it was Shauna!" Ron was charging.

"No, it couldn't have been." Hermione revealed. "According to _Hogwarts, a History_, no curse can ever enter within the walls of Hogwarts. It's because of all those magic and charms Dumbledore has put around this place. And Shauna had been in London over the holidays. So she couldn't have been the one who cursed Harry."

"Are you saying that someone from _inside_ Hogwarts had cursed Harry?" Ron implied with widened eyes.

"I might just mean that." Hermione raised her eyebrows.

"Then, doesn't this make everything easier?" Ron was thinking. "We can get the list of people who had stayed over the holidays and WHAM… the guilty party will almost be found!"

"I have already considered the option. But the flaw is that it could have been just anyone, including the teachers. It's better to use the charm." Then Hermione took out a small blade and said. "Your hand, Harry?"

He extended his hand out, as Hermione grasped it and warned. "Brace yourself… it might hurt a bit." With one speedy motion, she had pricked Harry's thumb with the blade.

"Ouch!" Harry exclaimed simultaneously, almost bouncing off the floor.

"Sorry…" she muttered, placing his bleeding thumb over the cauldron and she squeezed three drops of blood into it. Then Hermione stirred the potion again, poured a cup and handed it to her best friend. "Don't worry. The book says it doesn't taste too bad."

Harry took the cup, staring at the frothing concoction. "Are you sure I won't die instead?"

"Just drink it." Ron urged.

"Easy for you to say." Harry expressed with annoyance. "You're not the one who has to drink this foul gut." With one last glance at the potion, he washed it down his throat. It felt like acid devouring his insides. His head was getting heavy as the potion slowly converged with his blood. For some bizarre reason, Harry was also feeling sleepy.

"Are you ready, Harry?" Hermione said as he looked into Harry's eyes. "I'm about to say the first spell."

He dreamily nodded; glimpsing at Ron's amused face.

Hermione immediately stood up and placed her wand on Harry's head. With a small breath, she exclaimed. "_Comperio Imprecor._"

All of a sudden, Harry's heart began to beat faster; he was becoming extremely breathless. He opened his mouth for some air, just as a small silvery wisp of smoke trailed out of his lips. It flew directly above him and formed into an outlandish symbol.

"It's working!" Hermione cried out with excitement, as she grabbed hold of a pen & paper and quickly copied down the symbol. Seconds later, another shimmering wisp was trailing out of Harry and formed into another mark.

"What's happening?" Ron wanted to know. "What does it all mean?"

Hermione ignored him. She was hastily duplicating the symbols on the piece of paper. More of them were appearing and forming themselves into unnatural shapes.

"Hermione…" Ron was persistent. "I don't…"

"Hold on a second…" Hermione cut in, just as she copied the last of them. Then she turned towards the _Book of Extrinsic Sorcery_, and began to match the symbols from the paper. Minutes afterwards, she was exclaiming. "I've found it! I've deciphered this code and found out what curse was used on Harry!"

"What is it? Harry interrogated, still feeling a bit woozy.

"The CURSE OF THE MORSUS!"

"Huh…?" Ron was confused. "What the hell is that?"

"Just as Dumbledore had said!" Hermione rationalised, looking over the book. "It's an ancient curse… its sole purpose is to cause tormenting and agonising pain. Such an inflicting pain, that it will eventually kill off its victim. It uses an immensely complicated potion with several incantations. This curse had been banned a few centuries ago and that's why it was completely forgotten. But now… someone has conjured it again."

"I already know that…" Harry was impatient. "But WHO conjured it?"

"You'll have to wait." Hermione insisted. "There's some more information." She was glancing back and forth from paper to book. "What? I don't believe it!"

Harry was staring at Hermione horror-struck face. "What's the matter?"

"Someone from outside Hogwarts had cursed Harry…" Hermione muttered, disbelieving.

"But you just said that was _impossible_…" Ron was doubtful.

"IT IS IMPOSSIBLE." Hermione was exclaiming. "But someone had already prepared the potion _within_ Hogwarts and set all the enchantments, beforehand. Everything had been already arranged at Hogwarts and all they had to do was just initiate the curse from outside to activate it."

"What are you trying to say?" Harry demanded.

"That you have a deadly enemy somewhere out there." Hermione was frightened.

"I still don't get it." Ron appeared thoroughly confused.

Hermione faced him. "Someone had prepared the curse _earlier_ by concocting the potion and saying the proper incantations, and left it here. They probably departed from Hogwarts for the Christmas Holidays, and later had said a simple spell that activated the curse on Harry. You see… the Curse of Morsus was already present _inside_ Hogwarts. It was just about the timing…"

"That person must be a genius." Harry was reckoning. "Anyone would instantly blame the people who had stayed here for the holidays, which is a quite small number. Who would have thought that the curse had been actually initiated from the outside?"

"Then it could be anyone, even Shauna." Ron accused. "Even… Lord Voldemort…"

"That's a good possibility." Hermione was pointing out. "But still, _someone_ did set up the curse inside Hogwarts. The question is … who would do such a thing to hurt Harry?"

"I suggest we get on with the second half of the Finder's charm in order to find that out." Harry insisted.

"Agreed." Hermione raised her wand over Harry's head. "_Comperio Reus!_" Concurrently, a flash of light was ignited and she was violently thrown back.

"HERMIONE!" Ron shouted and rushed after her. "Are you alright?"

"I think so." she moaned, raising her hand to her head.

"What happened?" Harry wanted to know.

"The identity has been blocked." She figured out. "I _won't_ be able to find out who cursed you."

"How the hell did they block it?" demanded Harry, angered.

"I don't know…."

Harry almost pulled his hair out in frustration. This wasn't happening to him.

Ron helped Hermione up. "It's either Shauna or Malfoy! I can't think of anyone else."

"Dumbledore knows." Harry mumbled. "But he won't tell me!"

"What are we going to do?" Hermione was wondering.

Harry looked at her. "Can you find out where the remains of the Morsus potion might be hidden?"

"I already know." Hermione replied. "The spell indicated that it's in the broom closet… on the second floor."

"Then let's go." Harry made his way towards the Fat Lady's Portrait and climbed out. Hermione and Ron followed closely behind him.

A quarter of an hour later, the threesome had reached the broom closet. Harry opened the door and Ron voiced. "_Lumus._"

As some light was shed around the place, Hermione gasped. "Look…"

Harry carefully went towards a filthy cauldron and stared at its horrible contents. Right beside it was a strange looking box. Harry picked it up and opened it. "That's a lock of my hair!" he exclaimed with surprise.

"Are you sure?" Hermione wanted to know.

"I'd stake my life on it." He disclosed, picking it up and examining it closely.

"Do you have idea who might have snipped it off?" considered Hermione.

"I'm not sure…"

"Try to think… Harry. Have you been… uh… physically close to anyone?" she tried to help.

"Shauna…?" Harry thought.

"She's the culprit!" Ron yelled. "I knew it!"

Hermione was shaking her head. "No…it wasn't Shauna."

Harry was in complete agreement with her. No matter how evil Shauna had been the past few months, she couldn't have been the one. He was certain. Not after he had spent so much time with her.

"Then who could have sliced up a substantial portion of your hair without you knowing?" Ron was demanding.

"I don't know…" Harry's mind didn't seem to be functioning properly. He was too nonplussed about not finding the felon. "What if I go to Dumbledore, get down on my knees and beg him to tell me?"

Hermione was doubtful. "I don't think that's going to work, Harry."

"That stupid Finder's charm didn't help us with anything!" Ron pointed out. "We still don't know who had cursed you, and that had been the most important bit."

"We'd better be heading back." Hermione advised. "It's getting quite late."

Harry broke into a run towards the Hospital wing where he was supposed to be. He didn't even bother saying goodnight to either Ron or Hermione.

--------------------------------------------------------------

_The sapphire mist was back; so was the darkness and Harry was lost again…_

_He MUST try to get through it this time. With a small prayer, Harry charged at the diffused mist. Instead of staggering into it, he was soaring forward, as smoothly as gliding over a glass lake. _

_What was happening?_

_A bright light was illuminating right in front of him. He shielded himself with his hand, as the brilliance of it almost pierced his eyes._

_Suddenly, a voice filled with perpetual sweetness whispered. "Harry…"_

_He had never heard that voice, but Harry at once knew whom it belonged to. "Mum?" _

_As the lights gradually faded away… with the mist vanishing from sight, Harry saw James and Lily Potter standing in front of him. There was no hesitation, as Harry felt power surging into his dreamlike body and he rushed towards his parents._

_James Potter smiled with tears as he embraced his son, followed by his wife kissing Harry. This was no dream… it was real. Harry's parents had never felt so alive._

_"I'm so proud of you, my son." James Potter uttered; brushing his hand over Harry's disordered hair. "And I love you so much."_

_Harry clung closer to his mother. "I never want to wake up from this dream."_

_"Son…" Lily Potter was saying. "We must warn you. There is great danger ahead of you."_

_Harry was perplexed. "What kind of danger?"_

_"There is no time for details." James Potter alerted. "Lord Voldemort is gaining power. His malevolent plans are heightening… and the whole world is getting closer to its demise. I presume… you have received the revelation?"_

_Harry nodded his head._

_"You must do exactly what the sphere did." James Potter tried to explain. "Harry… you are in a Triad Prophecy. The one that is supposed to cleanse the world of its greatest evil. Harry you must be prepared… "_

_Harry was suddenly being pushed back against his will. "Prepared for what?"_

_"I can't say. You must be strong… you must let go of all your fears." His father warned. "And most importantly, Harry… beware of the worst that can bring you crashing down..."_

_"What…?"_

_"Your heart…" James Potter voiced sadly. "And remember Harry…_ Imperium Ingemino Pravus_."___

_"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry demanded, his parents were fading away. "NO! DON'T LEAVE ME!!!" he shouted in fear, reaching his hand out as if he could catch them._

_"You'll know…" came James Potter's voice from nowhere. He was already gone._

_Lily Potter smiled at his son for the last time as she waved him goodbye. "I love you…" Slowly fading away, Harry heard her warn. "Harry… stay away from Shauna Swirl." With that she melted away with the darkness and left him in the confines of the cold, eerie and insane world._

_Harry was alone, once more… like always._

He woke up sweating; his heart pounding with fear. He had just seen his parents, he had touched them and felt his mother's kiss.

It hadn't been a dream; it had been a reality. That was his truth, his answer.

The closeness he was feeling for his parents was not ebbing away. Harry put his arms around himself in the dreary cold of the hospital wing and began to sob, submerging with pain.

"Mum… dad…"

With all those overwhelming emotions going through his head, Harry didn't even remember his mother's last warning.


	19. In Dumbledore's Office

**------------------------ ****CHAPTER**** 19: In Dumbledore's Office ------------------------**

Many weeks had passed since the Curse of the Morsus had befallen upon Harry. Students had returned after Christmas vacations without a whisper of what had happened to him over the holidays. The usual routine of Hogwarts was fitting nicely, as mounts of assignments and projects were already being dispersed around by all the teachers.

Shauna Swirl hadn't spoken a word to Harry all this time. It seemed to Harry as if she was trying to shun him out of her life. He had once cornered her near Gryffindor Tower in attempt to try to talk to her. But Shauna had shoved him off in great fury and had screamed. "GO SCREW YOURSELF… POOPY POTTER!"

Harry still continued to ponder about the dream he saw with James and Lily Potter and it confused him greatly. Clearly, they had been alerting him something extremely important about the prophecy. What was it again? _Imperium Ingemino Pravus._ What was this supposed to mean? Hermione had suggested to him that it sounded like a spell, and she had promised Harry that she would look into the library for some other plausible explanations.

And the dream had also notified him that Lord Voldemort was becoming stronger. It wouldn't have been that hard to imagine, as Harry was almost certain that it was the Dark Lord who had cursed him. But one important question was still hovering inside his mind. Who the hell had set up the curse inside Hogwarts?

"What's wrong with the bacon?" Hermione asked as she sniffed her breakfast at the Great Hall on a beautiful Saturday morning. "It smells weird."

Ron was between mouthfuls. "It's actually quite tasty. It reminds me of mum's cooking."

"Hermione… did you find out what you-know-what means?" Harry asked, referring to the strange trio of words his parents had told him.

Her face cringed with guilt. "I'm sorry. I completely forgot about it. Would you please remind me later about it?"

Harry was about to say something when Professor McGonagall appeared beside him. "Please follow me, Mr. Potter."

Harry stood up and faced her. "I testify over Merlin's wand that I'm not responsible for sprouting chicken feathers all over Malfoy's body."

The Professor frowned. "I know that, Potter. Unfortunately, Mr. Malfoy got into that tight fix _himself_ when he attempted to brew a Love Potion illegally in the Slytherin common room. So as you can see, you're not in trouble this time."

Harry could have sworn that Professor McGonagall was muttering a prayer of 'Thank God' under her breath. She turned and began to walk away, saying. "Come with me, Potter."

Shrugging at his two best friends, Harry trailed behind the Professor wondering who Malfoy was concocting the Love Potion for and then what possibly McGonagall wanted from him. He decided to ask. "If I'm not into trouble then why am I being called for?"

"The Headmaster wants to speak with you." Professor McGonagall informed without looking at him.

Harry was surprised. Soon they reached 'the office' as the Professor exclaimed. "Jumping Jellybeans." In minutes, Harry was seated in Professor Dumbledore's and in no time all the portraits of the dead headmasters and headmistresses of Hogwarts started to mock at him.

"Back so soon, Harry?" one of them chided.

"What have you done this time?"

"Lord! Spare us from this boy!"

"Please don't tell me…" An obese headmaster in a caged portrait was saying. "… that someone has been murdered again because of you, Potter."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry fumed as he shot up from his seat.

"Exactly as I said. You could have spared many lives if you hadn't survived the Avada Kedavra curse all those years ago…"

_"Enough!_" A voice boomed and silence quickly spread across the circular chamber. It was Professor Dumbledore. "I request that all portraits please leave my office, as Harry and I have to discuss something important. I'll call everyone back when I'm finished."

There was a lot of murmuring of annoyance among the portraits as they disappeared off one by one.

"Please sit down and make yourself comfortable." The Hogwart's Headmaster motioned Harry to one of the comfortable armchairs. Harry did what he was told as Professor Dumbledore spoke. "I must ask you of your health before I begin this conversation."

"I'm fine." Harry managed to mumble, wondering feverishly what was going on.

"Then let me ask you directly…" Professor Dumbledore started. "Were you dreaming about something before you felt the anguish of the curse?"

It was an extremely hesitant reply from Harry. "Yes…"

"Your scar was hurting in your dream… am I correct?" The Headmaster seemed to speculate.

"Yes…"

Professor Dumbledore adjusted his glasses, and moved closer. "This certainly confirms the fact that Lord Voldemort is planning something damaging designs, and that time has been growing closer."

"Time for what?" Harry wanted to know.

The Professor ignored this question but asked. "Have you received any… oh dear… how shall I put this? Have you received any signs or indications… or perhaps, _revelations_ in the past few months?"

A tremor of shock whirred around Harry's heart. "How did you find out THAT?"

"I have my sources, Harry." Professor Dumbledore leaned back in his chair. "I am quite well informed that you are involved in Triad Prophecy. Although I don't have many details about it and I was hoping that you could enlighten me about it."

Harry hadn't told anyone except for Ron and Hermione. It was an outrageous accusation, but had his two most closet friends ratted on Harry?

The learned man seemed to have read Harry's mind. "No. It wasn't Miss Granger or Mr. Weasley who told me about the Prophecy. It was someone else… but I must say, it does clear the air around quite a bit."

"What do you mean?" Harry was confused.

"My instincts had been telling me the past few months that something very strange was going on at Hogwarts." Professor Dumbledore explained. "And I couldn't place my finger on it until now."

It appeared to Harry that the Headmaster was talking somewhat in riddles. "I don't understand…"

"And it's better that you don't… at least for now." Professor Dumbledore was uttering. "Even a little bit of truth could jeopardise the commencing of events in this Triad Prophecy."

"But…" Harry started.

"Please bear with me." The Professor cut-in; his eyes flickering with grief. "I can sympathise with the fact that explanations can be given extremely easily. But it is not my decision to make and burden them upon you. But I can promise this much, that in time all the pieces will eventually fall into place."

Harry sighed as he looked down. "Alright… but can you please tell me the name of the person who had cursed me on Christmas Eve?"

"I'm sorry, Harry." There was almost a tear-like drop in Professor Dumbledore's eyes. "I can not tell you that now. The curse was conjured because of reasons that can never be accepted by **our **feeble minds. It is not in **our **capacity of understanding." Dumbledore's words were swollen with a strange and unwanted sense of humility, and Harry knew that the Professor understood the state of affairs partially, if not fully.

"But I need to know, Professor Dumbledore!" Harry tried to reason. "I have been going crazy… trying to figure out the one who cursed me. Please… you HAVE to tell me."

The Headmaster was eyeing Harry with great conviction. "Do you have any suspects?"

"I have one," admitted Harry.

"You name this suspect of yours and I'll answer you whether they were the one or not. Then I'll go no further in telling you the name of the individual who had cursed you. Is that clear?"

Harry nodded his head as he implied. "Was it Voldemort?"

"No it wasn't. Nor it was any of his henchmen." Professor Dumbledore voiced. "That's all I can say, Harry. I'm very sorry."

Harry Potter was feeling extremely furious. But he collected every ounce of will power left in him as he tried his best not to let discharge his anger. "I want to leave…" He stood up.

"I believe there is a question still probing your mind." Professor Dumbledore insisted.

The Headmaster was right. Harry was still very curious about the Triad Prophecy. "Yes… I wanted to know who else is involved in this… Prophecy. But I think I already know the answer." It was an angered statement.

"You do?" Professor Dumbledore was astonished, as he raised his left eyebrow.

Harry confirmed him, rage creeping in his voice. "Yes I do! The answer is just as same as all the other questions I asked you before. That _I'm not supposed to know._"

He stalked off to leave Dumbledore's office, as he crashed into a dusky figure. Harry couldn't believe who it was. "Shauna!" he exclaimed, getting even more incensed with hatred. "What the hell are you doing here?"

She looked at him, with sort of a faltering expression on her face. "It's none of your business when Professor Dumbledore wants to talk to me… you dung eater!"

"Shut it…" Harry exclaimed with zest, just as the Headmaster shouted.

"That's quite enough, you two!" He glanced at Shauna with a hint of frenzy. "Miss Swirl! If you are not blind, then you can easily see that I am still speaking to Mr. Potter. Kindly wait outside, and don't come back until you're called."

Shauna was dumbstruck, as she looked at Professor Dumbledore and then faced Harry. With a mortified grimace, she left the office.

"Harry, believe me…" The Hogwart's Headmaster apologised. "I am truly sorry for not being able to answer any of your questions at the moment. But it _is_ for the better good." There came a slight pause. "You may go now."

Without a word, Harry twisted to leave when Professor Dumbledore called out. "Wait…"

He stopped, but didn't turn to face the Hogwart's Headmaster.

"I am debating whether to tell you this or not…" the white-bearded man was saying. "But I believe I must warn you… Harry, Stay away from Shauna Swirl."

Harry wasn't even half-listening; he rushed out of the office as fast as he could. He saw Shauna waiting outside as he flew past her without even looking at her.

His rage was mounting rapidly. Why the hell couldn't Professor Dumbledore tell him anything? Why couldn't he fill the holes and gaps in Harry's mind when the truth was just sitting there, waiting to be exposed? What was wrong with Dumbledore? And why…?

"Excuse me…"

Harry was interrupted from his infuriated thoughts, as he looked up to see a handsome young blonde man standing in from of him. Harry was quite sure that he had never seen him before.

"Could you please tell me the way to…uh… Professor Dum…uh… " The newcomer was stuttering; he fished out a paper from his pocket and glimpsed at it. "… that is… Professor um... Dum - ble - dore's office."

Harry bit his lip. "It's right down this hallway. You can't miss it."

"Thanks, mate." He showed off his perfect set of pearly white teeth and offered his hand. "I'm Jack Bennett."

"Harry Potter…" Harry shook hands with the newcomer, assuming that Jack would be at least three years older than him.

The blonde boy smiled nervously as he quickly glanced around. "Strange place… isn't it?"

Harry raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah… I was so shocked when I asked for chocolate on the train… and instead I got a brown tinted frog that was alive! And the pictures in those weird cards… By God! They were moving!" Jack exclaimed, his eyes widening with the unbelievable memory.

Harry didn't understand what the stranger was saying. But then he realised. "Are you a muggle?"

"A what?" The boy looked confused.

Harry smiled at him but was also surprised. What was a muggle doing at Hogwarts? "Why are you here?" he asked.

"Oh…I just wanted to meet someone from Hogwarts." Jack explained. "We used to go to the same school together before. We were best friends and it was such a fun time."

"I see…" Harry uttered.

"I went skiing on the Alps with my parents over the Christmas holidays and that's why I couldn't meet her then." He went on. "And so I decided that a surprise visit from me would cheer her up loads."

"It was nice meeting you…" Harry began taking a few steps backwards.

But a tense Jack chattered on. "I was so shocked to learn that she was a…. um… you know, a witch. I really was! But I still think she's a lovely person. It doesn't matter to me anyway whether she's a normal person or a bit… on the unnatural side. Yes, she's really rice. That's why I asked her out in the first place. I tell you, all the other chaps used to get jealous that she was _my_ girlfriend."

"That's nice…" Harry was now a bit annoyed. He didn't want to hear Jack gloating about his stupid girlfriend.

"Hey!" Jack appeared as a wonderful thought came to his mind. "Maybe you know her… her name is Shauna Swirl."

Harry could do nothing but stare at Jack, completely stunned.

------------------------------------------------------------

(AN: Sorry for not updating for some time. Writer's block. But I think I've sorted things out for the moment. Thank you anyways for bearing with my story and don't forget to finish off with a review.)


	20. When a Past Returns

**------------------------ ****CHAPTER**** 20: When a Past Returns ------------------------******

Harry Potter gave an eminently touchy grin. He was still in shock. "Shauna Swirl… she's your girlfriend?"

"So you _do_ know her!" Jack was beaming with delight. "That's wonderful. I'm so very glad that she has managed to make friends in this wacko sort of school. I was really worried about that…you know. I mean with her background being a normal girl and all."

"She's not my friend!" Harry was scrunching his teeth. Shauna had apparently never told him about Jack. HER BOYFRIEND!

Jack's face lost that smile as he echoed. "She's not your friend?"

"No!" Harry was very determined about it. "Personally, I think she's a first class…" Harry was about to say 'bitch' but he had to stop. Not that Shauna wasn't one, but it wouldn't seem too nice revealing it to her_ boyfriend_.

"A first class what?" Jack wanted to know.

Harry decided to steer the conversation in a whole new direction. "So Jack… How long have you two been going out for?"

"For years!" disclosed Jack with a sense of pride. "As I said before, we were best friends before, but then we started going much further than that and then started to develop this lovely relationship. I tell you, mate… Shauna is one _hot_ lassie!"

"I know…" Harry sarcastically agreed with him.

Jack's expression was instantly creased with disbelief. "How would _you_ know that Shauna…?"

Harry's first instincts were to tell Jack that Shauna had been almost cheating on him. But then he thought otherwise. "What I meant was…" Harry tried to conjure up a rational clarification. "She's nice looking and all and I only _assumed_ she would be… a hot… whatever."

"Yeah…" There was a strange facial cast on Jack's appearance, and Harry wasn't sure if he had was fully convinced him. Nevertheless, Jack was saying. "I'd better go to Professor Dum… whatever's office. I'm already running late…" With that he paraded down the hallway.

Harry slowly watched him and was debating whether to follow Jack or not. Actually to Harry's amazement, this _boyfriend_ thing had explained a lot of stuff. That was presumably the prime reason why Shauna was always reluctant to completely hit it off Harry. She was already harbouring an another _boyfriend_.

And what about Jack himself? He might be older than Harry, but definitely seemed incredibly more stupid. Sure… Jack might have had a great body and a handsome face, but Harry would bet anything that he would never be as courageous or defiant as he was. And of course, not counting the fame. There was no doubt about it that Harry's name was on the lips of millions of witches and wizard in the world. He had countlessly defeated the most evil and strongest dark wizards of all times. Poor Jack; he was probably still trying to overcome how to drive a car or something terribly idiotic.

Harry was better than Jack. There was simply no competition between him and Harry.

"Wait…" Harry was suddenly ordering himself. "Why the hell am I comparing myself to him? I don't even know him. I can't be not jealous… can't I?"

He was _certainly_ not jealous of a fleabag like Jack. No possible way!

Harry soon heard two pairs of footsteps coming towards him with a jovial remark. "Aren't you glad I came to visit you?" It sounded like Shauna's _boyfriend_… Jack.

Without delay, Harry instantly flung himself inside a nearby broom closet. He was fully concealed from Shauna and Jack's view moments later, but left the door slightly ajar in order to hear snippets of their conversation.

"I _am_ surprised, Jack." Shauna was saying. "I didn't think your lot was allowed anywhere near Hogwarts or Hogsmeade. Who gave you the permission, anyway?"

Jack was not even a bit hesitant about his reply. "I pestered your parents about it until they ultimately wrote a letter to the Headmaster and requested him that I be allowed to see you here. Look…" Jack showed her a silvery band on his wrist. "It's sort of a pass for me to go around in… um… your world."

"I'm also quite surprised that Professor Dumbledore agreed to this…" Shauna admitted.

He flashed an arrogant smile at her. "But you must be ecstatic to see me!"

"Actually I'm not too sure about it." Shauna tried to maintain her cool. "It's not very good for muggles come to Hogwarts."

"There's that word again." Jack was thinking. "This boy… Barry Otter called me that as well."

Harry was peeking from within the closet, as he observed Shauna's face faltering with uncertainty when she questioned. "You don't mean _Harry Potter_?"

"Right…" Jack exclaimed. "Yeah… that's his name. Nice fellow, I might add. Had a pleasant talk with him and he showed me the way to the Headmaster's office."

Shauna seemed as if a stunning spell was cast on her. "You didn't tell him that… you and I were together, did you?"

"I might have mentioned that." Jack reflected. "Why, is that a problem?"

She was shaking her head. "No… of course not!"

Jack was staring into Shauna's eyes. "Oh darling! I have missed you so much. You can't even imagine how many nights I've spent awake just thinking about you." He gently pulled her closer to him as if to kiss her.

Shauna instantly backed away. "Not here, please. It's not allowed." She paused to think. "It's an Hogsmeade weekend. Come on… I'll take you to The Three Broomsticks." With that she grabbed her _boyfriend's _hand and had soon vanished from Harry's sight.

He came out of the closet and was immediately compelled to run to his dormitory, grab his Invisibility cloak and follow the lovebirds to Hogsmeade. And to his utter astonishment, Harry was doing just that a few minutes later.

He reached The Three Broomsticks half an hour later; his Invisibility cloak carefully masking him. Cautiously, he stepped inside the bar and saw Shauna & Jack sitting together, locked in a serious discussion. Harry found an empty table near them and swiftly seated himself.

"Shauna…" Jack was saying as he placed his hand over hers. "I still love you with all my heart and soul. I hope you haven't forgotten that."

It was a soft reply. "No…"

"It's been so strange without you in London." Jack confided. "I wish that you had never gone away. I wish that they had never found out that you were… well, you know what I mean."

Shauna looked at him; her eyes seemed to be deep in thought. "There are also many things I wished that had never happened. But we can't control anything nor can we change the past, Jack."

"What are you trying to say?" he was suddenly getting suspicious. "You still love me, don't you Shauna? What about all the hopes and dreams we had for our future? We're still going to get married, right?"

"Of course." Shauna hesitantly smiled at him, and Harry did not fail to notice a flicker of doubt in her eyes. "It's a sure thing."

"Do you remember the time when we decided to eat at Là Promenade, but ended up in the park with a wonderful water fight?" Jack was reminiscing his old times with Shauna.

"That was fun." She agreed with a slight laugh. "I can't ever forget that."

Jack was a bit sheepish. "I love you so much, Shauna that it physically hurts me to bear the fact that I'm can't be with you like before. Sometimes… I wonder…." But he stopped and shook his head.

"What?" Shauna prodded him.

He looked up at her and said. "Sometimes I get this feeling that you don't love me anymore. I mean not like the way you did once. Why don't you write letters to me?"

"I'm too busy with Hogwarts, Jack." Shauna tried to explain to him. "It was really hard for me to start anew. I must confess, I didn't make many to friends back then. And even now…." Her voice was trailing off.

"Now what?"

Harry saw Shauna taking a deep breath. "But now, it's loads better. I'm finally learning to accept this new life and what I was always destined for."

Madam Rosemerta brought two bottles of butterbeer to them. "What's this?" Jack asked.

"Just drink it." Shauna smiled, opening one of the bottles. "It's really good. I think you'll love it."

Jack leaned back in his chair and took a sip. "You know what… I'd always secretly hoped that you wouldn't be able to cope with all of this… Bogwarts School. And then you'd come running back to London, and to me…"

Shauna raised her eyebrows. "It's Hogwarts." She corrected him and then said. "That's really unfair, Jack. I'm finally getting used to this life, now. It's actually very interesting. Like before, we'd never really believed that magic existed in the world. But it does… and I'm quite fond of it now."

"Whatever…" Jack was muttering. "I already feel that I'm losing you." He slumped back into his seat.

Harry noticed a debating look on Shauna's face. "I don't think I can lie to you anymore. But Jack… we must face the facts. I'm a witch now, and there is a whole different magical world out there for me. I have to be in it."

Jack seemed to be steaming with anger, sitting upright on his chair. "What are you trying to say, Shauna? That you'll go off and marry the next magical asshole you see?"

"I didn't appreciate the choice of words you just used." Shauna said distinctively, also getting very incensed.

Jack sneered in disbelief. "It never bothered you before."

"Well… it bothers me _now_!" Shauna shot up from her seat. "I don't believe we have anything else to say to each other anymore. I recommend you get your muggle butt back to London!" She started to leave, but Jack grabbed her hand.

"Listen… Shauna." He seemed sorry. "I apologise to you. It was an extremely stupid thing to say. Please forgive me. I just feel a bit confused right about now"

Shauna looked at him, expressionless and then sat back down on her chair without a word.

"I don't want to lose you…" Jack confessed his fear.

"I'd never said I wanted to break up with you!" Shauna exclaimed. "Many witches and wizards marry muggles… er… non magic people and they live happy lives!"

"So…"

"Jack…" Shauna was pointing out. "I'm also very confused. I don't know where my life is leading me. And I'm telling you this now because I don't want you to get hurt later. I'm saying… that… uh… I'm not sure about anything anymore."

"I understand." It was a biting statement from Jack. "You're telling me you need a little space. That you want me to back off till you can sort things out."

She looked at him as she softly whispered. "Yes…"

Jack faced her. "You're in love with someone else, aren't you?" he demanded.

"No…"

He slammed his fist on the table. "Don't you dare lie to me!"

Shauna was silent for a quite some time; she was glancing at other people in the bar as if trying to avoid Jack. "You must understand that I'm not the same person as I used to be."

"Damn right… you aren't!" Jack was looking away. "Who is he?"

"You don't know him!" Shauna cried out. "And I don't know him at all either! It might just be an infatuation…for all that matters. I really don't now. But I can assure you one thing, Jack. That I still love you with every ounce of passion inside of me!"

Harry watched Jack's expression merely relaxing. "I guess the only thing left for me is to pray and hope…"

"I promise that everything will turn alright for us." Shauna reassured him. "You'll see…"

That moment the Harry saw Ron and Hermione entering The Three Broomsticks. Ron noticed Shauna and Jack seated on a nearby table as he walked up to them.

Hermione was frowning. "Ron… what are you trying to do?"

"Hey…" His voice was dangerously cheerful. "I'm Ron Weasley and your name is…?"

Jack was surprised at this. "Jack Bennett. I'm a good friend of Shauna's."

"You are…?" Ron appeared as if he was greatly alarmed. "Mate, I better warn you. Shauna here… is one hell of a nasty roller coaster ride. You DON'T want to get too cheeky with her."

"Are you insulting her?" Jack demanded suddenly standing up.

"Damn, yes!" Ron declared. "She's a hell of a bitch, too!"

Without any warning, Jack shot a direct fist at Ron's face. It wasn't an easy dodge, but Ron somehow managed to move his head just in time. "What do you think you're trying to do…?"

Jack's eyes were blazing with fire. "Never call Shauna that ever again!" And he lunged towards Ron again. Everyone started to stare at the unexpected disturbance. Hermione was moaning with fright. "Oh God…"

Harry didn't know what to do. Should he take off his Invisibility cloak and help Ron?

Jack and Ron were thrashing each other to death. One would hit the other and then the other would strike back.

"Jack…" Shauna made a desperate attempt to stop the fight. "Please stop…"

But there was no use. Jack had abruptly trapped Ron under his weight and began to beat him deliriously in the chest. Madame Rosemerta came bouncing into sight. "There will be no fighting here!" Her words meant nothing to either of them.

"Jack!" Shauna screamed as she tried to pull him off Ron. "I said, STOP!" she tugged at his shirt while he continued to blast Ron with this barbaric throws.

With all this confusion, Harry or anybody else didn't even notice the Invisibility cloak slipping off him. He hurried towards them with the intention of stopping Jack from hurting Ron any further.

But Shauna was already in control. She took out her wand and yelled. "_STUPEFY!_"

Everyone saw Jack's eyes rolling around and there was loud thump as he crashed down on the ground. Shauna was immediately at Ron's side. "Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"

Ron was breathing very heavily and blood was trickling down his forehead. "Bloody hell…"

Shauna and Harry helped him to get up. He was staggering in their grasps. "We need to get him to a healer…" Shauna exclaimed with emotion.

Harry looked at Hermione and whispered. "Please grab my cloak from that table."

She gave a small nod to Harry and carefully picked up the Invisibility cloak, completely unnoticed by others.

"There's a small clinic somewhere here. Let's go." Harry announced. He and Shauna carried Ron out of The Three Broomsticks.

Hermione was following them. "But what about the other guy?" she considered glancing back inside.

"Ron is more important." declared Harry. Shauna looked at him but didn't say a word.

"Where are you taking me?" Ron was muttering, his head bobbing up and down. "And why is that filthy Shauna touching me?"

"Hush… Ron." Hermione was reprimanding. "She's only trying to help."

A quarter of an hour later, they had reached a small clinic. A healer named Roderick Donahue was immediately inspecting Ron.

"No lasting harm done." Hr. Donahue was saying. "It just looks bad because of the parched blood on him. He'll be up and ready in thirty minutes." He went inside a small room at the back and appeared with some healing bottles and bandages.

Hermione heaved a sigh of relief and said. "Thank God."

Harry was also quite alleviated, but then he turned towards Shauna and retorted sarcastically. "Nice fighting skills Jack has… your _boyfriend_… eh?"

Shauna let out a small gasp but didn't say anything.

Hr. Donahue was asking. "Was this boy in a fight?"

"Yes…" Hermione answered and then asked. "Is he going to be alright…?"

The healer answered sincerely. "Of course, he is."

After some time when Hr. Donahue was finished with Ron, he requested Harry to help him put all those bottles back inside the small room. Harry grabbed as many as he could and followed to healer into the room.

When they were alone, the healer faced Harry and smiled. "I never thought I'd see the day where I'd meet The Boy Who lived."

Harry wasn't quite so surprised. He had heard these exact words from many different strangers.

"You've been destined to do great things." Hr. Donahue continued. "You've been foreordained to save us all from a most malicious adversity. I hope you know that."

Harry didn't show any sign of a response. He just watched Roderick Donahue in puzzlement as the healer's eyes suddenly was clamouring with specs of white electric current.

"_Lift up your heart and let the energy surge within you._" Hr. Donahue was whispering.

What was happening? Harry was thinking. Why was the whole world suddenly speaking to him in riddles? He turned to leave, and heard the healer's strange voice saying.

"_Watch for the stars, Harry Potter_. _Imperium Ingemino Pravus_…"

Harry walked out of the room shaking his head, almost in disbelief.

Ron was sitting up and was blurting out. "Let me get my hands on that… Jack character!" He faced Shauna, who was standing silently in the corner and then cried out. "Hey Swirl…. If you're trying to get on my good side, then it's not gonna work!"

Shauna glared at him, open-mouthed. Next without saying anything, she fled the clinic in a bolt.

Hermione came up to Harry and said. "Ron's already feeling loads better. He's even…"

"I need some fresh air." Harry announced and left the clinic to do some private thinking. He could feel it in his bones that something terrible was going to happen and its time was nearing. Harry also knew that he was destined to fight the evil, but what he was most angry about was the fact the he didn't know _how_. No one was telling him _how_ he should be defeating it.

There had been a new clue. The healer had said, 'Watch for the stars'. Was Harry supposed to stare at the sky or something? What exactly did it mean?

Obviously, the trio of three words… _Imperium Ingemino Pravus_,was something immensely important. It might be even the key to unlocking all of these confusing riddles.

Harry would have to remind Hermione to help him with it… and soon.

-------------------------------------------------------


	21. Impossible Confessions

**------------------------ CHAPTER 21: Impossible Confessions ------------------------**

"You dropped this." Hermione crouched down and picked up a piece of folded parchment. She handed it to Harry.

"Where did this come from?" asked Harry.

"It fell out from one of your books." She informed him.

Harry opened the small parchment. It read:

_Harry,_

_I need to talk to you about something very important. Please meet in the dead girl's bathroom (the one who is always wailing) today after school. _

_S.Swirl._

"What is it? Hermione was curious, as she looked over Harry's shoulder.

"A note from Shauna." He answered and showed it to Hermione. "She wants me to meet her in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom."

Hermione bit her lip. "Are you going to go?"

"I'm not sure. Should I?"

"It's up to you." Hermione uttered with a tangled expression, as she grabbed her books and started to leave. "I have to go and talk to Professor Sprout about the end-of-the-term project. And Harry, don't forget to meet in the common room in two hours. I've found something about the you-know-what." Next, she was dashing away in the direction of the greenhouse.

Harry read Shauna's note again one more time and decided to go and see she what she wanted. He was still confused about her and really couldn't understand the way she always acted so strange. On minute Shauna would be an extremely delightful person and the next, she would be pounding on Harry as if he were some kind of a monster.

"Girls..." muttered Harry, shaking his head. In fact, 'girls' wasn't the correct word. Shauna resembled more of a demented chameleon, who always changing from one horrible colour to another.

And of course, Harry Potter didn't care one single bit whether Shauna Swirl had already had a muggle boyfriend. Why would he be troubled about it?

He headed in the direction of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Upon reaching the place, he saw Shauna suggesting to Myrtle. "Can't you go out for a walk or something?"

"I can't walk, stupid!" Moaning Myrtle exclaimed as she hovered above the sinks. "I'm dead!"

"I need to talk to somebody in private." Shauna was saying. "You can come back after fifteen minutes. It won't take longer than that. I promise..."

Myrtle shook her defiant see-through head. "NO! This is MY bathroom!"

"Please..." Shauna tried again.

Harry cleared his throat. Both girls turned to look at him.

"So Harry is the one you wanted to talk in private." Myrtle figured out. "What were you planning to do with him?"

"Myrtle..." Harry instantly began. "I was just walking in the hallway and I heard Peeves talking about you."

Myrtle's departed eyes popped out of her sockets. "What was he saying?"

"Well... Peeves was mentioning how nice you are and how he'd always wanted to speak with you." Harry was speaking from the top of his head. "But he can't because he thinks you'd start making fun of him and then he'll get really hurt and all."

Moaning Myrtle was in awe. "He said all that?"

"Of course." Harry imitated an honest face. "I suggest you find him immediately and... try to talk things out."

"I'll do just that." Moaning declared as she circled the sinks in a dash and then glided out from the open window, with a ghostly smile plastered on her pale face.

Shauna had her hand over her mouth in order to avoid bursting into rackets of laughter. "T...Thanks."

Harry turned serious. "You wanted to discuss something?"

"Yes..." she was suddenly appearing nervous. "It's... it's very important. But I'm not very sure how to bring up the subject..."

"You wanted to talk about Jack... perhaps?" Harry suggested in an extremely business-like manner.

Shauna's face fell. "Actually... no."

"Then what is it?" Harry was surprised.

She was looking down at her hands. "I was... just wondering whether you've seen... anything..." Shauna stopped abruptly and was facing Harry with a tinge of annoyance. "How _did_ you manage to bump into Jack that day and find out that we... were uh... going out together?"

"I don't think it's any of your business." Harry exclaimed.

Shauna's eyes didn't waver from Harry's face for a moment. "Somehow I get this feeling that you heard every single word that Jack and I were discussing in the Three Broomsticks."

"So what if I did?" Harry revealed without meaning to. Shauna was provoking him greatly.

"Well... That's _my_ business!" Shauna cried out, pacing towards him and poking a finger at his chest. "You had no right to eavesdrop on _my_ conversation! And I still can't figure out how you did that..."

"Why didn't you ever tell me that you already had a boyfriend?" Harry directly demanded her.

Shauna was a loss for words. "W... What?"

"You heard me!" Harry exclaimed.

"I'm not going to answer that question." Shauna was uttering timidly.

"You led me to believe that you were..." Harry had to stop. He was giving away too much of his buried and yet, escalating feelings for Shauna.

An uncanny moment of silence past between them.

"I saw some doubt in your eyes when you were _assuring_ Jack that you still loved him." Harry was saying lightly.

Shauna smiled in a mocking way. "You did... did you?"

"Yeah... And what's that bullshit about you being 'infatuated' with someone else." Harry stipulated angrily.

"That wasn't bullshit..." Shauna made a start, appearing extremely uncertain. "It happens to be true..."

"Really?" Harry raised his eyebrows. "Then, I must insist that you tell me the name of the bloke you're so interested in."

She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it immediately. Slowly, Shauna turned so her back to Harry and then she walked towards the cubicles. "I think you know perfectly well about who I am talking about, Harry."

"No. I don't think I do."

Shauna still wasn't facing him. "Well... In that case, you're really DUMB!"

"You're the one WHO'S BEING TOTALLY DUMB!" Harry attacked. "I don't like it when you try to wiggle yourself out of situations by being evasive! And EVERYBODY nowadays seems to be doing that!"

Sparks of resentment were blazing in Shauna's eyes when she twisted around. "Either you're BLIND or completely STUPID. _WHO_ SAVED MY LIFE WHEN I WAS BEING ATTACKED BY AN APPARENTLY ALIVE WINDSTORM? _WHO_ IS THE ONLY PERSON AT HOGWARTS THAT I HAVE TOLD ABOUT MY TROUBLED PAST ABOUT? _WHO_ TOOK ME OUT TO THAT WELCOMING DANCE AND MADE ME FEEL LIKE A SOMEBODY? _WHO_ DO I LOVE TO CALL _POOPY POTTER?_" She was suddenly out of breath.

It felt completely like an Avada Kedavra curse hitting him when Harry realised. Shauna was taking about none other than himself...

"But you're always fighting with me..." Harry's tone was doubtful.

"Fighting with you is a whole different scenario." Shauna made an attempt to explain as tears spurted from her eyes. "But Harry... I... I..." She couldn't go on.

"What?" Harry urged her to continue. "Tell me."

"I like you... because the way you are..." she tried her best. "Even though sometimes... actually, most of the times we _don't_ get along very well... but that doesn't stop me from fancying you."

"You are probably attracted to me because I remind you of... well, that guy who died." Harry insisted; he was almost in denial.

Shauna shook her head. "That's not it. He was a totally different person. You... you are well, just Harry."

"This is so weird. Never in my whole life had I imagined that _you_ would be interested in me." Harry admitted with a sense of jumbled up feelings.

Shauna took that remark from Harry in the wrong sense. "You know what..." she expressed strongly. "Just completely forget it. It doesn't matter how I feel. In fact, I shouldn't be ruining my relationship with Jack anyway."

"But Shauna..."

"No!" she seemed very firm about it. "Even though I was lingering onto a tiny fragment of hope that Harry Potter might actually be interested in me ... I know _now_, that he never will!" Shauna started to leave, but Harry caught hold of her arm.

"But what if I am..." Harry uttered.

Shauna stared at him for a moment. "What did you mean by that?"

Harry took a deep breath. "What if I told you... that I also... sort of... well... fancied you?"

She gasped out loud in an evident surprise. "What about Ginny Weasley?"

Harry instantly let go of her arm "Ginny?" He was thinking with a soft smile. "She has gone, forever. But mark my words that I will always continue to love her in my own special way. You've made me realise that I have to stop grieving over an impossible love. And you won my heart when you did that, Shauna." After a short pause, Harry said. "We have to give _us_ a try."

"Harry..." It was Shauna's turn to be in denial. "Don't do this."

Harry gave away a look of sheer confusion.

"I _don't_ want to go into a relationship with you." Shauna explicated. "At least, not now."

"Why not?" Anger was slowly stealing in Harry's voice. "That's what you wanted, isn't it? You were just telling me how much you liked me!"

"I _do_ like you, Harry." Shauna persisted. "But I never said anything about wanting to be in a relationship with you."

"There's not point in fancying each other if you can't go further than that!" Harry was steaming. "Relationships are built on love!"

"I know." Shauna exclaimed. "But I _can't_ go on any further..."

"Why not?" Harry demanded at once. "Is it because of Jack?"

Shauna took some time to answer. "Of course it is. And I'm very sorry. I shouldn't have confessed anything to you."

"But you told Jack that you wanted some space to try to sort your feelings out." Harry accused her. "And I automatically assumed that you wanted to give _us_ a chance because you fancied me. But I was wrong... wasn't I?"

Shauna meekly nodded her head with her lips tightly pressed together.

"Is this your life's ambition?" he demanded her. "Breaking guys' hearts?"

"No...But please try to understand."

"Understand what?" Harry was about to explode. "You unburden your heart by telling that you're extremely interested in me! But at the same time, you don't want a relationship. How am I supposed to understand _that_?"

"There are other things on my mind that are more important than deciding whether I like you better or Jack!" Shauna divulged with anger. "Things like... my studies!"

Harry was extremely furious at her. Why was she doing this to him? "There's no doubt about it. You're still a bitch, Shauna."

"A bitch... am I?" she spat out with zest. "Well... I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THINK OF ME, ANYMORE!"

"I DON'T CARE EITHER!" retorted back Harry.

"THAT'S REALLY GOOD TO HEAR!" Shauna cried out as she headed for the exit. "I'm leaving!"

"I thought you wanted to talk about _something very important,_ as you mentioned in that note of yours." Harry called out sarcastically.

"Oh yeah..." Shauna stopped to look at him. "I just wanted to ask you whether you've ever heard of the Ellemists."

But before Harry could say anything, Shauna spoke irritably. "I didn't think you did. That's all." And she left Harry alone in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

Harry was immensely compelled to go after her and teach her a lesson or two. Maybe even hurt her in some horrible way so she'd regret it for the rest of her life.

He was so confused right now; more than ever. Without even realising, Harry's legs were carrying him towards Gryffindor Tower. He reached there a few minutes later, climbed inside the Fat Lady's Portrait and then advanced straight towards the boy's dormitories.

"Where are you going, Harry?" Ron was calling out to him.

Harry saw his two best friends were seated near the giant fireplace in the common room. "What do you want?" Harry asked in a touchy tone.

"We were supposed to be discussing the you-know-what." Hermione reminded him.

"Yeah..." Harry uttered, not really interested. "Did you find any worthy information on it?"

"No." Ron informed him. "But Hermione has a plausible theory behind it."

"What?"

"Well... I think I might have been right that…" She put in plain words. "_Imperium Ingemino Pravus_ is some sort of an incantation of a spell. I tried it out, but it didn't work."

"Then how can it be a spell...?" wondered Harry.

"The thing is… that _you_ might be able to work it." Hermione suggested. "After all, it was intended for you. And I'm sure it's got to do something with the Prophecy."

"Alright..." Harry took out his wand. "Wait... how do I know that I won't be triggering some evil curse or something?"

"If you're parents gave you that incantation, then I doubt it's gonna do anything evil." Ron pointed out.

"Here goes nothing..." Harry raised his wand and then cleared his throat. "_Imperium Ingemino Pravus._"

A sudden blinding flash illuminated in mid-air for a moment, and then disappeared leaving behind a wisp of smoke that slowly weaved itself into a dishevelled parchment. Ron grabbed it and voiced. "What the hell is this?"

Harry and Hermione came towards Ron as he rolled down the parchment. Completely puzzled, the threesome stared at it silently.

_ab aeterno viva voce populi ferito via dolorosa et validius proeliater pugna acerbus umbra inflammo mereo laureola is ea id in terrorem intentio vultus urbi et orbi hic haec universum locus desperatus sub rosa – et sub dio sic erat in fatis clementia extuli inferus creperum atque inter spem et metum fiat lux respice finem et lux mundi accendo tui oris sic itur ad astra ultra vires et una voce sursum corda tunc permitto potential fluo intus ele si vis pacem, para bellum sic transit gloria mundi nunquam esse irritus letum quasi nascentes morimur veritas vos liberabit prout veritas nunquam perit sed memento mori semper paratus et resurgam imperium ingemino pravus specialis aliter stella et nihil obstat quasi dum spiro spero_

"It looks Latin..." Hermione finally put forward. "Of course... I may be wrong."

"Can you translate it?" Harry wanted to know.

Hermione breathed. "I suppose I can try... and it's going to some time."

"I'll bet you anything it's something about the Prophecy." Ron announced.

Harry whole-heartedly agreed with him. "I hope so, because I just can't take these stupid riddles any longer."

-------------------------------------------------------------

(A/N: I would really appreciate some feedback. Thanks to EVERYONE for reviewing!!!!!!!)


	22. The Channeler, the Amplifier and the Dep...

**-------------- CHAPTER 22: The Channeler, the Amplifier and the Depraver -------------**

_"You should **not** have altered the Triad Prophecy sixteen years ago!" A rough voice was roaring above the folds of the seven skies. "Now everything is turning out wrong! There is going to be a completely pointless death and many hearts will be broken... "_

_"I know, but there is nothing much we can do about it..." Another voice was uttering with deep regret. "The plans to attack have already begun."_

_"She won't be able to come through it! She is too weak compared to the Dark Lord! And that boy... he knows too little..." the first voice was declaring furiously. "By changing the Prophecy, you have jeopardized the survival of the whole world!"_

_The second raucous voice was muttering. "I had wanted some excitement and a sense of ambiguity in the Prophecy. Now I understand that it was very wrong of me to do that."_

_"Do you realize what would happen to mankind if the Dark Lord succeeds?" demanded the first voice._

_"The consequences will be exceedingly dire. I insist we must warn her about the attack, soon." _

--------------------------------------------------------------

It was a cloudy evening, and signs of a heavy downpour were already becoming evident. Thunder was beginning to clap in the nearby skies, while a murky mist shadowed above the giant towers of Hogwarts.

Harry had just arrived at the library, where Ron and Hermione had been waiting for him.

"I'm telling you... it wasn't an easy job." Ron was confiding to his best friend, as he laid out a piece of parchment on a table. "But I think we've done it."

Harry sat down next to Hermione, who was saying. "And mind you, it's _very_ roughly translated. It was the best I could do. Most of the Latin words date back to the early eleventh century."

Harry looked down at the willowy parchment and slowly read.

_from the beginning of time..._

_the living voice of people have fought the way of sorrow_

_and mighty warriors have battled the dark shadows to victory_

_this is a warning intended for the city and for the world_

_that the universe will become a hopeless passage over the roses and beneath the open skies_

_so it is fated that humanity shall be buried under darkness_

_but between hope and fear... let there be light_

_look to the end_

_and the brightness of the world will illuminate your facade_

_as such is the way for the stars_

_and beyond the powers with one's voice_

_lift up your hearts and let the energy surge within you_

_if you want peace, prepare for war_

_so passes the glory of the world_

_and never be afraid of death_

_as we die from the moment we are born_

_the truth shall set you free as truth never departs this life_

_but remember you must breathe your last_

_and always be prepared_

_for you shall rise again_

------------_ the Channeler, the Amplifier and the Depraver _-----------

_the__ enigma is in the stars_

_and nothing stands in your way_

_for while you breathe... you hope..._

"What do you think?" Ron asked when Harry finished reading.

Harry was surprised. "It's a poem."

"It's not a poem." objected Hermione with a stiff laugh. "It's a forewarning written in a fancy sort of way."

Harry pushed his glasses closer to his face. "Well... it definitely confirms that the world is going to be crushed by a dark force. But it still doesn't mention anything useful."

"Wait Harry, don't lose hope yet. Look at this... you might find it interesting." Hermione uttered, pointing to the twenty first line of the translation. "_Imperium_ roughly means the_ Channeler, __Ingemino_ just about translates to the _Amplifier _and _Pravus_ denotes the_ Depraver_. Do you see the connection?"

Harry shook his head.

"We think that _Imperium_,_ Ingemino _and_ Pravus_ are just lavish codenames for the three people who are involved in the Triad Prophecy." Ron implied; a thoughtful expression forming on his face. "You certainly can't be the _Depraver_... he's no doubt a baddie. So you're either the _Channeler_ or the _Amplifier_."

Harry blinked twice in bewilderment. His mind immediately began to absorb this new-found information. "Hold on... you said that _Ingemino_ means the _Amplifier_, right? Wasn't the green sphere in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom expanding, or shall we say... 'amplifying' in this case?"

"You're right!" Hermione's brown eyes were jumping out. "Harry, you must be the _Ingemino_! Your quest must be to amplify something!"

Ron seemed equally pleased. "Thank goodness you won't be turning into Dudley!"

They all laughed.

"I expect that the _Depraver_ must be Lord Voldemort." Hermione appeared to be considering profoundly. "I can't think of anyone else."

Harry nodded in agreement. "In my dream, my parents were warning me about him. They said that his powers were heightening." Suddenly, a sensation of pain flew across Harry's lightning scar, and his hand reflexively soared to his forehead.

Hermione noticed this before Ron did. "Harry, what's the matter?"

"My scar..." Harry tried to speak.

"Is it hurting again?"

Harry found himself nodding his head. "But it was just a prickle, nothing big."

Ron seemed rather concerned. "Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

"I think so..."

"Positively sure...?" Ron speculated.

Harry gave away a small grin. "Yeah..."

Hermione carefully looked at Harry before speaking. "I was just analyzing this translation a couple of minutes ago and I deduced that it's meant for both the _Channeler_ and the _Amplifier_." she considered. "And a part of this is intended..."

Ron interrupted her. "Who do you reckon is the _Channeler_?"

Nobody had the answer. Harry just shrugged and Hermione spoke. "For all we know, it could be anyone. Oh... this is so complicated." she appeared a bit flustered. "Harry's right. We still don't know enough about the Triad Prophecy."

Harry took hold of the parchment and read it once more. "Hang on... this line – '_lift up your hearts and let the energy surge within you_'. I've heard it before."

"Where?" Hermione sounded interested.

"That Healer... what's his name? The one who was fixing up Ron after the fight in the Three Broomsticks." Harry recalled. "Remember... he asked me to help put the bottles back into the small room."

"Yeah...?" Ron uttered.

"He said the exact same line to me... '_lift up your hearts and let the energy surge within you_'." Harry disclosed with a sense of insight. His eyes quickly darted back to the parchment. "And look..." He pointed to the line that said '_the enigma is in the stars_'. "The Healer had also talked something about the stars. He had mentioned '_watch for the stars_'."

Ron was wearing a bothered look. "How come you've never told us this before?"

"Sorry, mate." Harry apologized. "I had too much on my mind then."

"You say stars...?" Hermione pondered. "This is getting more confusing by the second. What have stars got to do with the Triad Prophecy?"

"Do you think we should go back to that clinic ask the healer about it?" Ron was cautiously suggesting.

"Somehow I get this feeling he's not going to tell us much." Harry spoke. "I don't think he even knew what he was talking about."

"What do you mean, Harry?" Hermione raised her eyebrows.

He faced her. "I believe that had been another revelation. It seemed as if someone else was speaking through that healer. I suppose it might have been the mysterious entity..."

"And what's all this gobbledygook about death?" Ron asked while scanning over the parchment.

For the first time, Harry experienced an immediate rush of fear. The Prophecy wasn't a game, even though he never really took it seriously. Harry had by no means realized that deaths of many may also be involved in this calamitous quest of saving humanity. And numerous people had already perished because of this... Harry's parents, Cedric Diggory, Sirius Black and Ginny Weasley, to name only a few. Just how many more deaths would it take to finally eliminate Lord Voldemort from the face of the earth?

Hermione's face had also clouded. She took a small breath and then spoke in a softer tone. "It appears to be a subtle warning of death. This line says '_but remember you must breathe your last_' which clearly means that... someone... well... they might have to... die." The last word was spoken with great hesitancy.

"Of course, someone's bound to die!" Ron exclaimed. "Lord Voldemort and the death eaters, that's who! And I wonder who's going to kill them. I seriously wouldn't mind the job."

Harry turned to Ron, his face flushing with the slightest hint of fear. "Yeah... Voldemort might die or... or the Channeler..." Harry paused to breathe. "Or... it might be _me_..."

"But look at the bright side, Harry..." Hermione tried to hearten the dreary atmosphere. "The last few verses give a sentiment of hope and encouragement. The power of good will probably be on our side."

"Yeah... the power of good also has a demented sense of humour and always finishes off by taking someone's life!" Harry was speaking angrily and then didn't want to continue this topic any longer. "I'm starving. C'mon, it's almost time for dinner." He stood up from his seat.

Ron and Hermione looked at each other, surprised at Harry's sudden disturbance. Without a word Ron gathered all the reference books from the table, while Hermione rolled up the parchment and carefully placed it inside a cylindrical container.

The trio of friends headed in the direction of the Great Hall. Hermione decided to put the translation in the Gryffindor tower for safekeeping.

"It won't take minute..." she said and dashed off.

In a few minutes, Harry and Ron had seated themselves in the middle of the Gryffindor table, soon joined by Hermione.

Ron glimpsed at Harry while helping himself to a portion of roast beef. "Don't fret on it, Harry. No one is going to die."

"I certainly hope so..." But Harry's tone was quite doubtful.

Dinner was being eaten with silence on the part of the three friends. Harry was feeling tremendously fed up with life. There was nothing to look forward to except the start of the summer holidays. He was planning to take a trip to Transylvania with Ron's family. But nothing was weaving the way it used to before, as all the anticipation, enthusiasm and magic was gone. There was only worry and despair left to endure in his wretched world.

Harry glanced up from his food and noticed that Shauna was seated just a few feet away from him. She was quietly eating, with no sense whatever of her surroundings. Suddenly, she was gazing towards Harry and for a moment, their eyes locked together as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Shauna immediately looked away and Harry turned his attention back to his food, but his thoughts were still on her.

He couldn't understand Shauna and now he didn't want to anymore. Harry was sick of her, tired of her haziness and confusing replies. Shauna was one hell of a complicated puzzle and he had decided to give up trying to fit all her pieces together. His feelings for her were still massively strong but Harry was willing to make them subside and disappear into nothing. Shauna didn't seem to be worth it.

There was an unexpected urge within him as Harry glanced at Shauna one more time. She was still eating silently, occasionally playing around with her fork. Suddenly, Harry was watching her beginning to tremble slowly as she closed her eyes in a hurry. Her body abruptly appeared rigid now and Shauna dropped the fork that was in her hand.

Harry's eyes widened with surprise and he instantly glimpsed at Shauna's neighbour. Lavender Brown seemed completely indifferent towards what had just happened and seemed to be gossiping with Parvati Patil about the latest Hogwart's heart throb. Without delay, Harry looked back and was seeing Shauna's face shadowing with the expression of absolute fear. Her eyes blazed open and she shot up from her chair, staggering backwards.

"NO!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

The whole of Hogwarts was now turning towards her. That exact moment, fifteen jets of crimson lights flew across the hall in the direction of the High Table where Professor Dumbledore and all the other teachers were seated. The curses struck them in a fraction of a second, and they were all suddenly collapsing out their chairs, falling into death-like unconsciousness.

There were a chain of bloodcurdling screams and confusion all the way through the Great Hall. Panic was filling the hearts of all the newly unattended students as they tried to swiftly scramble out of their chairs.

The giant doors of the Great Hall exploded open. A cluster of darkened hooded creatures were hastily piling inside. At once, all the candles floating in hall were extinguished and they showered upon the students like stoned pellets of hail. A sensation of fear, despair and coldness was overriding the prior cheerful atmosphere, while the piercing screams and shouts continued from the struggling students.

"Dementors!" Harry exclaimed, sensing his strength ebbing away. Putting his hand in his pockets, he managed to pluck out his wand unnoticeably.

"No! It can't be...?" Hermione was shaking with terror, as she moved closer to Ron.

An overpowering stature crossed the threshold of the Great Hall; the ground shaking faintly from each of his thunderous footsteps. The deathly robes clad upon him like a wavering fleet of crows, as his pitch-black shifty eyes darted from one corner to another.

There was another tremor of shattering screams and shrieks from all the students, their eyes bellowing in terror from the grotesque sight of the most evil and malevolent wizard in the world.

"SILENCE!" he commanded with such force that made everyone fall to their feet.

"Oh my G...God!" Ron stammered. "L...Lord V...Voldemort!"

With some speedy gestures, the Dark Lord was stationing the Dementors and the Death Eaters everywhere around the hall. "MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE TEACHERS ARE COMATOSE, THEN TIE THEM UP! AND ROUND ALL THE CHILDREN ON ONE SIDE AND COLLECT THEIR WANDS!"

The younger children were beginning to weep out of immense fear, as death eaters dragged them ruthlessly around. There was so vigour of fighting back as the Dementors were lusciously devouring any trace of courage and impudence left inside the hearts of the Hogwarts' students.

With the last ounce of nerve still hovering within him, Harry hastily elevated his wand in mid-air and yelled from the bottom of his plunging heart. "_EXPECTO PATRONUM!_"

A silvery-white stag, as illuminating as a magnificent diamond, was instantly discharged from the tip of Harry's wand. He motioned it to attack the huddle of Dementors on his right side. The sparkling stag charged towards its victims, pointing his complex branched antlers at them. Through one fleeting movement, Harry's stag had hurled several Dementors almost out of existence.

"Attack!" Harry shouted again, signaling his brilliant patronus towards another crowd of Dementors.

But before the stag could position himself, Lord Voldemort's overruling voice was exploding in everyone's ears. "ENOUGH!" Raising his wand, the Dark Lord cried out a curse that fired towards the patronus and immediately killed it. He then turned towards Harry. "I'VE SEEN ENOUGH OF YOUR WORTHLESS AUDACITY!"

"Worthless?" Harry couldn't believe his ears. "I've defeated you FIVE TIMES BEFORE!"

Ignoring Harry, Lord Voldemort commanded the Death Eaters. "GRAB POTTER AND HIS FRIEND WEASLEY, ALONG WITH THE MUDBLOOD GRANGER!"

Five of the Dark Lord's henchmen were at their side in less than a few seconds. They grabbed a tight hold on Harry and his two best friends. One of them snatched Harry's wand out his hand.

"EXCELLENT!" Lord Voldemort's guttural voice echoed. "TAKE THESE INSIGNIFICANT BASTARDS TO THE FORBIDDEN FOREST! I WILL HAVE TO USE MY PERSONAL WRATH ON THEM!"

Almost immediately, Harry, Ron and Hermione were being hauled out of the Great Hall. Harry jerked deliriously in a Death Eater's arms, whom he had a strong suspicion to be Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Let go of me!" Hermione shrieked in evident fright, writhing in the clutches of another Death Eater. "LET GO!"

While tugging and yanking with all his might, Harry's gaze abruptly fell upon a struggling Shauna. Her emerald green eyes were radiating fear as hot tears trickled down her cheeks. Subsequently, Harry caught the sight of an expression on her face that he had never seen her wear before.

It was the look of absolute failure.

-----------------------------------------------------------


	23. The Flight of Doom

**------------------------ CHAPTER**** 23: The Flight of Doom ------------------------**

Hard rain constantly sprayed on Harry Potter's face as the hoarse Death Eater, Bellatrix Lestrange brutally dragged him deeper into the boundaries of the Forbidden Forest, with the Dark Lord himself leading the flight. The sound of thunder clapping in the dark skies was resonating against the folds of the steamy atmosphere of the woods. The tiny twigs and branches on the uneven ground were crunching beneath Harry's feet, while the faint rustle of the leaves fluttered past his ears. Massive trees occasionally blocked their way as Lord Voldemort's cohorts kept launching various spells to clear the path.

Harry stole a glance towards Hermione. His best friend's expression was transfixed with one that bore an uncanny resemblance to pure terror, perhaps because of the devastating fear of being in the clutches of the Dark Lord once again. On the other hand, Ron's face was crumpled with a strange fusion of horror and unleashed anger; his eyes recoiling with rage every time he turned his head in the direction of the wizard responsible for his sister's death.

A harsh, impassive shove was delivered to Harry by woman who had soullessly taken Sirius Black's life not more than a year ago, as she ordered. "Move faster, you piece of dung!"

Harry's fury was beginning to mount; he could feel his fists automatically clenching as a sensation of a heated blaze overrode the sketch of fear that was slowly developing within him. It was time for Harry to take some action.

_One, two and three_, he raised his arm and unexpectedly threw his elbow into Bellatrix's jaw.

The Death Eater hollered in pain as she instantly released Harry from her forceful grip. "You stupid son of a..."

Harry struck her again with bursting power, this time fully knocking Bellatrix on the ground. Her hood slid down her head at once, exposing her skeletal face which now seemed to be creased in immense anguish. Without any delay, Harry made an immediate grab for her wand.

Lord Voldemort had immediately twisted around. "FOOLS! CAN'T HANDLE A LITTLE BOY!"

In mere seconds, Harry had managed to take hold of the wand from his assailant's hands. "_Petrificus Totalus!_" This spell was skillfully directed at Ron's Death Eater, who suddenly had his body completely bound the moment it whacked him.

With the corner of his eyes, Harry caught the sight of Lord Voldemort whirling his wand towards him. "CRUCIO!"

The razor-sharp curse was bolting towards Harry at lightning speed but before he could realize what was happening, a scarlet jet crashed into the hex in midair as it jaggedly deflected the Cruciatus Curse off of him.

At once, Harry turned in the opposite direction and saw a rather satisfied look on Ron's face; a burly wand firmly clasped in his right hand. His best friend was now targeting a stunning spell towards a group of Death Eaters.

Harry also hoisted his wand in the air and shifted it towards the Dark Lord. "_Stupefy_!"

With a sheer flick of his wand, Lord Voldemort had effortlessly annihilated Harry's attempt to stun him. "YOU DODDERING FOOL! DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT YOU CAN EVEN AS MUCH AS SCRATCH THE MOST POWERFUL WIZARD OF ALL TIME?"

"Yeah... you bet I can!" Harry retorted with vigour, replenishing his thrusting rage for the Dark Lord. This was him... the Depraver who had pitilessly slaughtered James and Lily Potter and taken his Ginny's innocent life. A scorching fury detonated inside his wilting body with an exploding force, his red shot eyes igniting flecks of fiery sparks as Harry instantly was beginning to absorb all the anger and wrath of the world. With fully contained of his serrated rage, Harry pointed the wand unequivocally at Lord Voldemort's blackened soul and screamed with the mightiest conviction of his heart. "_AVADA KEDAVRA_!"

Simultaneously, a shadowed figure was lunging at him, pinning Harry instantly to the ground. It was one of the hooded Death Eaters trying to stop him from exclaiming out the killing curse, but it was already too late. A flash of emerald green jet was hurtling towards Lord Voldemort as fast as a leaping lion.

All heads hastily turned towards the Dark Lord; the vibrations of the nervous heartbeats of the Death Eaters were resounding in everyone's heads. Harry watched Lord Voldemort's hideous face clouding with the look of startling terror, as he hesitantly elevated his wand towards the binding killing curse and shouted. "_SERPENTSORTIA_" At once, a large semi-coiled snake burst out from the end of his wand, dexterously colliding with Harry's green flash of light. There was a cacophonic sound as the killing curse performed its job on the Dark Lord's conjured serpent. In a second, the snake's limp lifeless body had struck the hard ground.

"YOU CAN NEVER DESTROY ME, HARRY POTTER!" Lord Voldemort's voice was echoing in the air as he twisted himself to face his attacker. His acidic eyes almost pierced through Harry's skin, radiating a how-dare-you-try-to-kill-me look. With a swift movement of his wand, the Dark Lord invoked a spell that was instantly tying invisible ropes around Harry and Ron's bodies and it made them drop their wands.

"THAT'S MUCH BETTER!" Then Lord Voldemort's gaze flew upon the night skies. "IT'S ALMOST TIME! COME ON... GET A MOVE ON!" he screamed at the scattered Death Eaters.

One of them immediately grasped Harry again and forced him to walk ahead. He began to jerk yet again within the confines of the invisible cord that was tightly fastened around him.

"Are you going to kill us liked you killed my little sister?" Ron was suddenly shouting out, his teeth scrunched with absolute anger.

The Dark Lord looked at him and continued to tread forward; a revolting expression was materializing on his putrid face. "AH YES... THE YOUNGEST WEASLEY! I HAD A DESIRING PLEASURE TAKING HER PATHETIC LIFE! THE INNOCENT GINNY WEASLEY... SO PURE AND BEAUTIFUL! SHE WAS DEFINITELY ONE OF MY FAVOURITE KILLS!"

"YOU SCUM OF THE EARTH!" Ron bellowed with an exploding rage, a crimson glow was forming on his infuriated face. "I'M GOING TO SLAUGHTER YOU LIKE A PIG!"

Lord Voldemort's screeching laugher ricocheted through the woods. "I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU TRY!" He suddenly stopped and observed the area of the forbidden forest carefully. "WE ARE HERE! STATION YOURSELVES!"

At his weighty command, the Death Eaters immediately began to form a formidable position around the region. Pulling Ron, Hermione and Harry on one side, Lord Voldemort's henchmen tied the three of them around a single tree.

"ARE YOU QUITE COMFORTABLE?" The Dark Lord asked them

"Why did you bring us here?" Harry demanded angrily.

"OF COURSE... I WILL TAKE A FEW MOMENTS TO ANSWER ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS." Lord Voldemort was exclaiming. "I BROUGHT YOU HERE BECAUSE I WANTED THE THREE OF YOU TO BE THE FIRST ONES TO SUFFER MY GREATEST POWER!

"What power?"

"DON'T YOU KNOW ABOUT THE TRIAD PROPHECY, BOY?" The Dark Lord seemed skeptical.

Harry found himself screaming. "Of course, I know!"

"BUT DO YOU KNOW EVERYTHING?"

A moment passed that was completely soundless. Harry was sure that Lord Voldemort was trying to trick him somehow. But whatever the reason may be, Harry was still much uninformed about the Prophecy and he couldn't take any chances.

"I very well know that you are part of it and... so am I." he hesitantly voiced.

Lord Voldemort's eyes bored into Harry's. "WHO IS THE THIRD CONSTITUTE?"

"Aren't you supposed to know?" Harry shouted at him, trying to loosen the grip of the ropes.

"NO, I DON'T!" The Dark Lord exclaimed. "UNFORTUNATELY, I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIND THAT OUT FOR YEARS! BUT I HAVE FAILED TO PINPOINT THE _CHANNELER_. IT WAS EXTREMELY HARD JUDGING AGAINST HOW EASILY I LEARNED THAT YOU WERE THE _AMPLIFIER_!"

"How did you find out?" Harry wanted to know, squirming beneath the folds of the invisible rope.

A cackle escaped from the Dark Lord's mouth. "EVEN AS A YOUNG CHILD, I HAD KNOWN THAT I WAS PART OF AN INEVITABLE PROPHECY. A YEAR AFTER YOU WERE BORN, I STUMBLED ACROSS A MAGICAL COMPASS THAT COULD HELP ME LOCATE THE OTHER TWO CONSTITUTES OF THE TRIAD PROPHECY. WHEN I ASKED FOR THE _INGEMINO_, IT IMMEDIATELY POINTED TOWARDS THE SON OF JAMES AND LILY POTTER. THAT'S THE PRIMAL REASON WHY I TRIED TO KILL YOU ALL THOSE YEARS AGO!"

"Hah... I was becoming an obstacle to your quest to gain absolute power!" It was an extremely sarcastic remark.

"YOU AND THE _IMPERIUM_ ONLY HAD THE POWER TO DISMANTLE ME! AND THAT'S WHY I'M GOING TO GET RID OF YOU, NOW!"

"Why didn't you bother locating the _Channeler _with your magical compass?" demanded Harry.

There was hint on uncertainty in the Dark Lord's impenetrable voice. "DON'T YOU THINK I TRIED THAT? THE COMPASS WOULD GO COMPLETELY HAYWIRE, SPINNING OUT OF CONTROL EVERY TIME I ASKED!"

This was very odd and Harry was very curious to ask. "Why would it do that?"

"I WAS HOPING YOU COULD TELL ME." Lord Voldemort announced. "BUT I CAN SEE NOW THAT YOU'RE NOT AWARE WHO THE IS _CHANNELER_ AS WELL." A rueful smile instantaneously formed on his gaunt face. "NEVERTHELESS, IT DOESN'T MATTER... AS LONG AS ONE OF YOU IS DEAD, THE STIPULATIONS OF THE TRIAD PROPHECY WILL BE BROKEN AND I WILL HAVE UNDENIABLE ACCESS TO ABSOLUTE INVINCIBILITY!"

Resentment was reviving in Harry's heart. "Don't forget that you'll always be 'the number two' when it comes to absolute power! DUMBLEDORE is the one who you can NEVER surpass, not in wit or in power!"

"THE POTTER BOY SPEAKS THE TRUTH!" the Dark Lord turned towards the Death Eaters and sneered. "SADLY... I AM CERTAINLY _NOT_ AS POWERFUL THE HOGWART'S HEADMASTER HIMSELF. BUT... I WILL BE IN A FEW MINUTES, WHEN I BECOME THE _NECROMANCER_!"

"What the hell is that?"

"IT'S THE FORCE THAT LIES WITHIN THE ENERGY OF THE PROPHECY." Lord Voldemort explained heartily. "AN ANCIENT DIABOLIC POWER IS ROUTED, AS THE STRENGTH OF THE SEVEN DARK LYNXES WILL BE ROLLED INTO MY BODY! I WILL HAVE THE POWER TO DESTROY THE WHOLE WORLD WITH THE FLICK OF MY WAND! I WILL BECOME _GOD_!"

"And how are you going to managed to do that?" It was Ron who demanded the question. "Join Hogwarts and learn all your lessons again?"

"FOOLISH BOY! I REALIZE IT NOW THAT YOU THREE KNOW DOWNRIGHT _NOTHING_ ABOUT THE PROPHECY!" Lord Voldemort was guffawing with laughter. "PRECISELY AT MIDNIGHT, THE _ASTRALIS__ATRER_ WILL PASS OVER THE UNIVERSE AND IT WILL GRANT ME THE ULTIMATE POWER OF THE _POTENTIA_!"

"Speak ENGLISH!" shouted Harry with a deep sense of vigour running through his veins.

The Dark Lord seemed very anxious to give details. "_ASTRALIS ATRER_ – THE DARK STAR OF THE TRIAD PROPHECY WILL GIVE ME THE SUPERLATIVE POWER, TRANSFORMING ME INTO THE MOST INDESTRUCTIBLE WIZARD ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH!"

"All right... yeah we get the friggin' point..." Ron was uttering with reflective loathing. "But I still don't understand how you managed to break into Hogwarts when Dumbledore has placed such an armored protection around it!"

"LUCK WAS ONE MY SIDE... " Lord Voldemort racketed with evil laughter. "PLANNING TO ATTACK HOGWARTS WAS ON THE TOP OF MY LIST AND EVEN DUMBLEDORE SOMEHOW KNEW THAT. HIS FEAR HEIGHTENED, THUS THE SHIELDING SPELLS AND ENCHANTMENTS WERE ENHANCED TO SUCH A GREAT EXTENT THAT A HOGWARTS SIEGE WAS PRACTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE. BUT SOME TIME AGO, WITHOUT INTENTION... I TRACED A TEMPORARY HALT ON THE DEFENSIVE SPELLS... AND THAT'S WHEN I GOT MY CHANCE!"

"No..." Harry was horrified. That was when Professor Dumbledore had performed the Halting spell to stop the Curse of the Morsus from killing him. Voldemort must have found out about it and had probably used it to his advantage. "What did you do then?" Harry wanted to know.

"I USED THAT MOMENTARY PAUSE TO PROPEL AN SMALL CURSE INSIDE HOGWARTS." The Dark Lord was clarifying to the threesome. "I WAS VERY CERTAIN THAT THE HEADMASTER WOULD EXECUTE A DARK FORCE DETECTION SPELL... YOU KNOW HOW HE IS SUCH A VERY SUSPICIOUS CHARACTER... AND SINCE MY CURSE WAS SO INSIGNIFICANT, IT WASN'T EXPOSED. BUT IT STARTED GROWING AND EXPANDING TILL IT SLOWLY MANAGED TO PIERCE A SUBSTANTIAL PUNCTURE IN THE SHIELD OF HOGWARTS! IT WAS A CLEAR-CUT ENTRY FOR ME"

Harry glanced at Ron and then at a silenced Hermione who was wearing an appearance of the dread. There seemed no way out for them.

"ANY LAST WORDS, POTTER?" The Dark Lord cackled.

"Yeah! EAT PARASITIC DUNG!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

Lord Voldemort snickered at the insult. "ENCOURAGING STATEMENT! ENJOY YOUR LAST BREATH... POTTER!" He moved up his phoenixed feather wand in midair as Harry unhurriedly closed both of his eyes. "AVADA KEDA..."

Without warning, a stream of flying snakes was plunging in the direction of the Dark Lord. He stopped in mid sentence as the snakes exposed their poisonous fangs and lunged at his whole body.

Harry twisted around to see the source. "Shauna!"

She was standing near a cluster of already stunned Death Eaters as she flashed a couple of curses at more of them.

"Harry...." Hermione voiced for the first time in hours. "Come on... this is our chance to escape!"

Harry made an attempt to wiggle himself free but it was impossible to break away. Suddenly, a silvery jet, as reflective an edge of a sword was making a dash for it towards Harry. Shauna's unexpected spell slashed through the invisible ropes that were binding him and his two best friends and in mere moments, the trio was free.

"Grab a wand!" Harry ordered Ron and Hermione.

Shauna's lethal snakes were violently attacking Lord Voldemort. He was firing an assortment of slurred hexes at them, but the serpents seemed to be too fast for him.

"There's no time!" Shauna was shouting, at the same time warding off a Death Eater with a tricky enchantment. "We need to get back to Hogwarts, NOW!"

Ron seemed to be complete agreement. "Let's GO!"

Harry breathed heavily as all of four of them ran madly away from the Lord Voldemort and his cohorts towards the direction of their school.

"Hurry..." Shauna was panting. "We're all going to die if we don't reach Hogwarts in time!"

Swiftly running as fast as he can, Harry jumped over a bundle of fallen branches and then swerved around a giant chunk of a tree. He heard a sound of a deafening shriek and then the noise of a definite thud. Hermione had tripped over a boulder and Shauna was immediately running to her side.

"Are you alright?" Shauna appeared feverishly concerned, helping her to get up on her feet.

Hermione managed to mumble a yes, as they all continued to make their way out of the forest.

"They're following us!" Shauna exclaimed, turning her head towards the Forbidden Forest.

"Who?" Ron demanded growing worried.

"The Death Eaters!" cried out Shauna, stepping out of the confines of the woods. "Speed up!"

Harry was worried. "What are we going to do?"

"We have to get inside the Chamber of Secrets!" Shauna spoke with assurance, heading towards the Great Gates of Hogwarts.

"What?" Harry couldn't believe what she had just said. "Have you gone bloody mad?"

Shauna seemed indifferent towards Harry's shocked face. "It's the only way. I'm sorry but there's not much time to explain."

All of a sudden, Harry stopped dead in his tracks.

Shauna twisted to look him in the eye and demanded furiously. "What do you think you're doing? Do you want to die?"

Harry stamped his foot on the ground. "I want to know what the hell YOU'RE trying to do!"

"The Chamber of Secrets in the only place where we can..." Shauna started but Harry cut her off.

"That place is the magnification of absolute evil!" he hollered at her.

"STUPID IDIOT!" Shauna screamed, as she took a few steps closer and began tugging on Harry's arm. "Your stubbornness could cause the whole world its demise! Come on..."

"I'm NOT GOING ANYWHERE WITH YOU!" Harry was immensely adamant.

Shauna was now begging. "Please..."

Millions of thoughts were passing through Harry's mind but a single whisper was projecting out eminently from the rest. He was finally remembering his mother's last warning in his dream and Professor Dumbledore's unheard words. _Stay away from Shauna Swirl..._

"It was YOU who put the Curse of the Morsus on me... wasn't it?" Harry accused Shauna.

Her face creased with horror and her mouth fell open. At once, she let go of Harry's arm and stumbled backwards.

"You were in my dormitory... that day!" Harry was exclaiming heatedly, as the abrupt truth struck him. "You claimed that you just wanted a photo of me, but your real intentions were to grab some strands of my hair off the bed and then eventually curse me!"

Ron moved in. "Harry... what are you talking about?"

Ignoring him, Harry shouted at Shauna's face. "Do you deny it?"

Shauna seemed speechless. Tears were brimming up in her eyes as she managed to choke out. "No... I ... I don't..."

Hermione gasped in utter surprise as she clasped a quivering hand over her mouth. "I can't believe it!"

"YOU TRIED TO KILL ME! WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU DO THAT?" Harry demanded, as the sound of distinct footsteps of the Death Eaters was apparently nearing.

"Please... I'm sorry!" Shauna pleaded again. "I know it's impossible... but I'm asking you to _trust_ me... just this once! We have to go to the Chamber of Secrets, NOW!"

"You'll have to..." Harry started, but Shauna grabbed his arm once more and made a worthy attempt to pull him.

"HARRY! PLEASE!" She was shouting with renewed energy. "THE DEATH EATERS ARE COMING AND THEY WILL KILL US!"

"SHUT UP... YOU BITCH!" yelled Harry, trying to yank her off him. "I'll personally serve Voldemort before I go into the Chamber of Secrets with you!"

"YOU'RE SO BLIND!!! AND INCREDIBLY DIM-WITTED!" Shauna yelled back. "Haven't you realized that _I'M_ THE _IMPERIUM_... _I'M _THE _CHANNELER_?"

"What?" Harry exclaimed. Her words were a bolt of thunder that had struck him squarely in the heart. _No,_ _she can't be..._ He was petrified at that spot; his jaded green eyes were widened with horror.

He didn't even feel the single twinge of pain when a Death Eater's curse hit him unswervingly in his chest.

**------------------------------------------------------------**

(A/N: I know I updated after quite a long time, but I was really swapped up with work. I heartily apologize. And for some weird reason... it's getting harder for me to write this and I don't know why... But I really hope that it's up to the readers' expectations and also wish that you guys enjoy reading the story. I'd love it if you'd all kindly reviewed as I love getting feedback. Thanks a bunch!)


	24. Godric’s Chamber

**------------------------ CHAPTER 24: Godric's Chamber ------------------------**

A feeling of life surged into Harry Potter's body and his mind sprung into existence. He was gradually becoming aware of his surroundings, at the same time feeling his whole body rigid and stiff, and he had absolutely no energy to move a single muscle... much less open his eyes.

"It's working!" Hermione's squealing voice seemed overjoyed; it was apparent that she was the one who noticed Harry's minuscule jolt. "I think he's coming around..."

"_Reverto_!" Shauna exclaimed again with a whisper of panic in her voice and then brandished her wand over Harry's sprawled body. "_REVERTO_!_ ENERVATE!_"

As moments passed, energy was gradually slithering inside the Harry's veins. Control over his body was once more returning, as Harry strenuously tried to stir his fingers.

"That's good... try to move." Shauna's serene voice was urging him. "Come on, Harry..."

It was taking him Herculean effort to reveal his eyes to the others. Harry also tried to open his mouth, and miraculously managed, but no sound seemed to come out of it.

"What's wrong with him?" He heard Ron demanding with irritation. "I don't understand... it was only a Silencing spell that had hit Harry. He wasn't supposed to grow weaker."

"It had been a two folded spell..." Hermione appeared to deduce.

"What the hell is that?"

"An extremely complex charm that can merge two effective spells in a single enchantment, which is immensely hard to unbind and comes with disastrous side effects." Hermione's reply was automatic, just as always in these types of intellectual responses.

Harry heard Shauna further clarify Hermione's explanation. "There was a stunner rolled into that Silencing Spell. Didn't you notice the double colouring of the jet?"

With a mighty thrust, Harry finally managed to jerk open his eyes. Three concerned faces peered down at him.

"Say something!" Ron insisted.

Harry opened his mouth again, but once more he wasn't able to verbalize his mangled thoughts into words. Hermione carefully grasped one of his arms and helped him to sit up so he could perch against a tree.

"It's the effect of the Silencing spell..." Shauna stared in despair towards a deteriorated Harry.

Ron asked. "Why would the Death Eaters want to shut him up?"

Shauna bit her lip. "Harry is the _only_ one who can speak Parseltongue and open the Chamber of Secrets." There was moment of pause as she stood up and glanced towards the blackened skies. "There's little time left! We must go there at once!"

"There's NO WAY you're going to take Harry anywhere near that hellhole!" Ron appeared as angry his silenced best friend felt some time ago.

"I have no time to waste my breath fighting with you, too." Shauna declared with zest; she crouched down and hoisted Harry up gently, making sure he was well rested against her body.

"Listen... I don't care if you're the _Imperium_ or the Goddess of Ultimate Power!" Ron's severe voice was roaring. "Put him down before I hex you, Swirl!"

"Don't be difficult with me now, RON!" Shauna's yelling words were reverberating in their ears. "If we don't get him inside the Chamber, THEN HE'LL DIE! AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT LORD VOLDEMORT WANTS!"

A swoosh of a wand was instantly heard, as Ron pointed it straight at Shauna's chest and ordered heatedly with very distinct words. "Put Harry DOWN!"

"NO!" Shauna was also determined; she managed to raise her wand towards Ron and at the same time trying her best to support Harry's faltering body. "I WON'T! You don't seem to understand..."

Ron's teeth were scrunching with resentment. "This is your last warning, Swirl."

"What are you going to do?" Shauna angrily demanded. "Curse me? Well... GO AHEAD! I CHALLENGE YOU, WEASLEY!"

Without a second of delay, Ron had elevated his wand and was shouting. "_Furnunculus_!"

Shauna easily blocked his boil breaking spell when she exploded. "_Obsido!"_ Then she looked at Ron in the eye and demanded. "Is that the BEST you can do...? YOU RED HAIRED FREAK!"

Ron was about to fire another curse at Shauna, when Hermione pulled the vibrating wand out of his hands.

"Stop it!" She screamed at Ron, then looked at Shauna in an extremely angry manner. "Stop it BOTH OF YOU! You're going to hurt Harry this way!"

"She's in league WITH VOLDEMORT!" Ron was hollering. "THAT'S WHY SHE TRIED TO KILL HIM WITH THE CURSE OF MORSUS!"

"I wasn't trying to KILL HARRY!" Shauna's voice was a pitch higher than the other two. "I was just... only..." she stopped suddenly as a forsaken appearance molded on her guilty splashed face.

"Yeah... what?" Hermione demanded her accusingly. "What _exactly_ were you trying to do?"

"Look!" Shauna exclaimed, waving her head in a furious fashion. "There is NO TIME to give any details! I'M BEGGING YOU to trust me now and let me take Harry into the Chamber! YOU'RE THE ONE who's going to kill him if I don't!"

That precise moment, the sound of rumbling footsteps and murmured voices were heard from the edge of the forbidden forest. It took only a moment of realization that more of the horrendous Death Easters were approaching them.

"Please..." Shauna pleaded again, her expression clouding with frantic frenzy.

Hermione's brown eyes sparked a flicker of uncertainty. She seemed to be concentrating tensely, and it was while later when she finally declared. "Let's go!"

That was the order Shauna was waiting for all along and without wasting a single moment, she was taking Harry inside the solid walls of the Hogwarts. Ron open and closed his mouth several times in shock, but eventually decided to go after his best friend. Hermione caught up with Shauna and she clutched Harry's other arm that was dangling about and put it around her shoulders to hold him up better.

"Position your wand and be on the lookout ..." Shauna was warning Ron. "Attack at once if you see a Death Eater!"

Ron did what he was told, but with great hesitancy and undeniable anger. They all turned round one of the corners of a hallway, scuttling as quickly as possible towards Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

All of a sudden, a commanding voice echoed in their direction. "STOP!" It belonged to no other than Lucius Malfoy. "You'll have to pass through me before you can even think of stepping inside the Chamber of Secrets!"

"Oh no..." Shauna exclaimed as stunner jet hit her. Her eyes rolled lopsidedly as she plummeted unconscious onto the marbled floor.

Hermione struggled to pull Harry up as she wasn't strong enough to support him on her own. Ron was already launching a mouthful of curses at Malfoy Sr. who was clearly much more powerful. It was a raging duel between the two, as Ron shot a Bee Stinging hex onto the Death Eater. Malfoy easily avoided the yellow jet by deflecting it away, and then he fired a silvery curse that expertly knifed through Ron's arm.

He screamed in pain and crashed against a group of suit of armors that tumbled all over him when he fell down. Lucius Malfoy adjusted his blackened robes in triumph and casually strolled towards the direction of a cluttered Ron, who had his left arm clutched tightly to stop the bleeding.

"Will you ever understand that purebloods like your family are definitely much worse than those damned mudbloods?" Malfoy uttered sordidly. He rolled his wand in his hands for a second or two and then aimed it at Ron's chest. "Try dodging my killing curse, Weasley!" He opened his mouth for the kill, just when Hermione suddenly pointed her own wand at the Death Eater's head.

"Why don't you dodge _this_?" she voiced furiously and then instantly yelled. "_IMPERIO_!"

Lucius Malfoy stopped what he was doing, his eyes shadowed as he was instantly in total control of Hermione. She let out a breath of relief and afterwards decisively ordered. "GO and STOP any other Death Eaters that might be coming this way!"

Without a word, Malfoy was stomping away in the direction of Great Hall and in moments had disappeared out of sight.

Harry, who was sitting on the floor, had been watching the whole incident in complete silence. He still wasn't able to speak nor had he composed enough energy to pull himself up and help his friends defeat Malfoy Sr. But fortunately for all, Hermione had managed to do just that.

Now, she was rushing towards Ron's side and crouched down beside him. "Are you alright? Does your arm hurt much?"

Ron groaned. "I'm feeling okay... I think."

With her wand, Hermione conjured a piece of a cloth and she fastened it carefully around Ron's wounded arm. "It should be fine... for now." She turned to face her other best friend.

When Harry's eyes met with Hermione's, he hastily pointed a feeble arm towards a passed out Shauna.

"Oh right..." she muttered, and then raised her wand towards the unconscious witch. "_Enervate_!"

Without delay, Shauna gasped heavily for air and sat upright on the floor. "What happened? Where's that Death Eater?"

"He's gone... to do us much good." Hermione replied lifting Ron up to his feet.

Still quite confused, Shauna scrambled towards Harry. "How is he?" she asked Hermione. "Can he speak now?"

"No..." Hermione expressed with sheer regret.

Shauna pulled up Harry and with the help of Hermione; they made their way towards the Chamber of Secrets swiftly. Ron followed them, but without uttering a single word.

"What's going on?" A shrilly voice demanded, as the four of them entered the girl's bathroom. It was Moaning Myrtle; she appeared to be in a state of absolute frenzy. "What's all the commotion about?"

"Lord Voldemort has attacked Hogwarts..." Shauna was the only one who bothered to answer the dead witch.

"Oh no..."

Hermione looked at Harry solemnly and stated distinctively, making sure he understood her every word. "You have to open the Chamber of Secrets... Harry, you've got to try to speak in Parseltongue."

Harry nodded his head, indicating that he understood clearly. He closed his eyes and then searched deep down inside himself for the missing voice. He made a worthy attempt to accumulate his strength and find the power he possessed once. To his absolute surprise, energy was beginning to surge within his veins and he felt an abrupt uplift in his stamina. With the most compelling passion of his heart, Harry slowly opened his mouth to utter those hissing commands in Parseltongue.

No sound came out. Harry was devastated as he opened his eyes and shook his head as if to say 'I can't do it'.

"Try again..." Hermione was encouraging him. "Just one more time. Come on..."

His voice was gone and Harry waved his head again and looked down in utter humiliation.

Without warning, Ron directed his wand at Harry. "_REVERTO_!" he yelled angrily. "Come on, damn it... _REVERTO_!"

In spite of all Ron's lashing efforts, there was still no speck of change in Harry's condition.

"It's almost twelve." Shauna was looking at her timepiece, appearing sully. "If Harry and I aren't inside the Chamber by midnight, then the power of the Dark Star will kill us both!"

Hermione turned towards Ron. "You were with Harry when he opened the Chamber the first time around to save Ginny. Don't you remember his words?"

"Of course not!" Ron was aghast. "I can't speak Parseltongue like him!"

"But you must have some recollection of it...." Hermione persisted. "Ron... please try!"

"I'm sorry..." Ron expressed apologetically.

"Forget it!" Shauna exclaimed.

Harry, Ron and Hermione turned around to see her already standing in front of the sink that served as the entrance to Salazar Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets. "We have less than a minute left!" An extraordinary expression was materializing on her face, followed by a faint sort of hiss escaping her lips.

They watched in amazement as the sink slowly glided open to reveal the doorway to the formidable snake layered Chamber.

"You're a Parselmouth!" Ron pointed his finger at Shauna, accusingly. "Why didn't you tell us before?"

Shauna didn't answer, instead she shouted. "HURRY!"

They all helped Harry go down the slide. There was a creaking sound of the sink closing up behind them as the foursome landed inside the dreary confines of the Chamber of Secrets.

"We should be safe for now!" Shauna was confidently assuring.

Suddenly, there was a deafening sound of an explosion; the ground shook violently knocking all four of them off their feet.

"What's happening?" Ron demanded nervously, trying to brace himself.

The earth thundered stridently as it trembled with the force of a thousand violent earthquakes. The ceiling of the Chamber was starting to cave in on them. Hermione screamed out of fear and Ron positioned himself defensively at once.

Shauna lifted her wand above her head and screamed through the rumbling of the falling rocks. "_TUTIS CONTEGO_!"

A green flash of light erupted from the end of her wand and instantly formed a protective shield around all four of them.

"It's Voldemort... isn't it?" Hermione speculated intelligently once they were fairly safe under the spell's armor. "He's requesting the power of the Dark Star."

Shauna nodded her head. "Yeah... he is. Whatever was stated in the Triad Prophecy is commencing precisely at this moment."

"Why do you and Harry have to be inside the Chamber of Secrets, now?" Ron wanted to know.

Shauna answered with no reluctance. "Because the two of us can not withstand the power of the _ASTRALIS ATRER_! Its dual purpose is to grant the _Depraver_ the Powers of the _Necromancer_ and to destroy the _Imperium_ and the _Ingemino_. The walls within the Chamber of Secrets are our only haven from the Dark Star's destructive wrath."

"Why would Salazar Slytherin go through all the trouble making the Chamber all Dark Star-proof?" Hermione questioned Shauna.

Just as suddenly as the tremors had started, the same way they abruptly stopped. Shauna lifted the protective shield off of everyone with a complicated flick of her wand. Everyone finally managed to stand up steadily on the once-smooth ground which was now covered with fallen boulders and rocks.

"He didn't." she confided. "It was Godric Gryffindor's idea."

"What?" An astonished Ron cried out, getting up as he dusted his shirt. "How...?"

"All those years ago, Godric Gryffindor was very well aware that Slytherin was about to construct this Chamber and bring into being the most unspeakable monsters of all times, the Basilisk." Shauna tried to explain. "His first notion was to stop him, but then he was struck with another brilliant idea."

"What was it?"

All eyes turned abruptly towards Harry because he was the one who questioned this time. He himself realized it a few moments later. "Hey... I can speak!"

"The Silencing spell must have finally worn out!" Ron exclaimed out gladly.

Harry turned his attention towards Shauna. "So the _Channeler_ is a Parselmouth like me... eh?"

"I..." Shauna started but was interrupted by Hermione who was totally objecting to this.

"Now is not the time to divulge into snake-like similarities." she said. "Shauna, what was Gryffindor's idea?"

Shauna took a deep breath and continued. "Godric Gryffindor also was quite informed of the Triad Prophecy. And he knew a structure was needed inside Hogwarts for the protection of the _Imperium_ and the _Ingemino_, which shouldn't exactly be very easy to detect. The Chamber of Secrets was the perfect solution. As a result, Godric 'accidentally' slipped to Salazar Slytherin that an element called _admantium_ was supposedly the most indestructible material that will ever exist, which doesn't even disintegrate a single atom over a million years. He was speaking the truth, but what he didn't tell Slytherin was that _admantium_ was also resistant to the powers of the Dark Star and could be used to save the lives of righteous constitutes of the Triad Prophecy."

"Gryffindor _fooled_ Slytherin into constructing this Chamber out of _admantium_?" Ron was stunned. "And that wretched dope fell for it? How thick can you get?"

It was taking Harry some time to absorb all this unbelievable truth. "Shauna, what _exactly_ are we supposed to doing, according to this Prophecy?"

Shauna seemed surprised at this question. "Harry... I... I thought you would already know..."

"Well... I don't!" Harry declared angrily; he was getting immensely fueled up with fury. "Moreover, how long have you known that I was the _Amplifier_?"

A wavering expression on Shauna's face indicated that she didn't want to answer accurately. "For some time..."

"Could you be more specific?" Harry demanded through scrunched teeth.

Shauna mentioned with uncertainty. "Ah... since I arrived at Hogwarts..."

"And you didn't tell me?" Harry was extremely infuriated at this point. "What was the matter...? You couldn't be bothered enough or what?"

"I wasn't supposed to tell you anything!" Shauna exclaimed defensively. "It was _their_ job!"

"Who's job?" Ron wanted to know.

Hermione came in. "It's not important!" Then she faced Shauna and said. "Please explain as quickly as possible the contents of the Triad Prophecy."

Shauna cleared her throat. "Precisely, a hundred and seventeen minutes after midnight, the twin star - _ASTRALIS BONUM_, which is also named as the _Noble Star_ will appear in the skies at the same place where the _ASTRALIS ATRER_ passed. It will solely possess the power to destroy the _Depraver_ who is now already contained with the energy of the _Necromancer. _Since I'm the _Imperium_, I exclusively have the ability to _channel_ the Noble star's power to earth."

"You're saying that you can destroy Voldemort?" Ron was wondering.

"No... I can't. You're underestimating the power of the _Necromancer._" Shauna elucidated to a further extent. "Voldemort has now become the most powerful being on the face of this universe and he has the strength of thousands of wizards. Even the energy of the _ASTRALIS BONUM_ is not enough to put even a scratch on him."

"Then how the hell do we stop him?" Harry wanted to know

"This is where you come in according to the Triad Prophecy, Harry." disclosed Shauna with a sense of insight. "Whatever energy I channel from the Noble star, I will transfer it to you. You, as the _Amplifier_ will have the strength to magnify its power by millions, just sufficient enough to completely annihilate the _Depraver_."

"Hold on..." Ron appeared as if the most bizarre idea had struck him. "I think I can guess why Voldemort's magical compass couldn't locate Shauna."

"What are you talking about?" Shauna appeared confused.

Ron ignored her. "Shauna was a muggle before... right? I mean... the Hogwart's magical quill didn't detect her and that's why that magical compass couldn't either. Either she didn't have magical powers back then or they were intentionally concealed for this very purpose... the Triad Prophecy."

Harry couldn't understand how but by some unusual means, all of this made complete sense to him. "That's right... Voldemort would have immediately finished Shauna off if he had found out about her, exactly the same way he tried to kill me all those years ago. But miraculously, we both managed to survive! We were _meant_ to stay alive!"

Hermione was unusually quite and it was a while later before she decided to speak. "This still doesn't make total sense. Shauna, have you always known that you were an important part of a prophecy, even when you were supposedly a muggle?"

Shauna was shaking her head. "I got my first revelation the first week after arriving at Hogwarts."

"How come you know so much about the Triad Prophecy when I know almost downright nothing!" Harry was curious.

Shauna seemed to think profoundly before tackling this question. "The only explanation I can come up with is that, somehow Voldemort has managed to accelerate the arrival of the twin stars."

"How could he have changed the Triad Prophecy?" Hermione questioned with absolute doubt.

"He didn't. You see, the Prophecy never really mentioned the exact date and timing of its events, so none of us had any clue to _when_ it would actually come true." Shauna put forward the truth. "In fact, more revelations were meant to be directed at Harry with the complete information about the Prophecy, and now... there simply isn't enough time left to do that. And I do believe that's the reason why Dumbledore was also unprepared for the Hogwart's siege."

Hermione was anxiously glancing at the time. "We only have half an hour left before the Noble star emerges. Do we have a plan on getting past the all-powerful Lord Voldemort?"

"Yeah... I believe I do." Harry was the one who spoke out. "Here how it goes..." And he informed the other what was on his mind.

"It's so crazy... that it might just work." Ron was calculating with slight apprehension.

"There's one more thing we must do." Shauna said, suddenly wearing the expression of a soulful angel.

Hermione instantly raised her eyebrows and asked. "What?"

"Pray..." Shauna breathed silently. "And hope..."

---------------------------------------------------------------

(A/N: I am experiencing immense writer's block here. Even though I have the whole plot carefully outlined, I can't seem to put it in flowing words. It's really frustrating when I sit on the computer and can't think of anything!!!!!!! I'm VERY sorry and that's my excuse not updating earlier.

Thanks to _eedoe_ for pointing out the unnecessary use capital letters for Voldemort's speech all the way through the last chapter. After re-reading it, I felt the loss of importance of his sentences.

I _warmly_ thank all my reviewers for giving me such wonderful feedback! It's very enlightening to know that the effort you put in your work is being appreciated by others. THANK YOU A MILLION TIMES!)


	25. Love's Last Desire

(A/N: I wholly apologise for not updating earlier. All I can say that I was going through a very difficult ordeal the past three months.)

**------------------------ CHAPTER 25: Love's Last Desire ------------------------**

_"I see the ASTRALIS BONUM approaching..." The powerful voice was exclaiming over the heavens. "There is very little time left now..."_

_"We must be patient..." A second voice tranquilly stated, gazing down upon earth as if it were just a pretty but heartrending picture. _

_"Do you realise that the fate and survival of the whole universe lies within the hands of two innocent children...?" The first voice was demanding, but not with anger... it was more of a composed, sombre tone... one filled with pure despair. _

_"I have faith in them." The second voice said with much assurance._

_"And I wish I had your confidence..."_

_"The good of the world will continue to live... just as long as the _Channeler_ does not succumb to her heart's only desire..."_

------------------------------------------------------------

It was almost time.

"You guys ready?" Harry asked everyone in apprehension.

"Not yet..." Without warning, Shauna abruptly heaved her wand in mid air towards Ron. "_Petrificus Totalus_!" A brilliant light pierced through the darkness of the Chamber of Secrets, followed by an unexpected sound of a thump as Ron's stiff body crashed down to the floor. Devoid of delay, she was aiming a stunner in the direction where Hermione was standing. "_Stupefy_!"

"What the hell are you doing?" Harry demanded; he watched in shock as an unconscious Hermione hit the ground in a faint. He drew out his own wand in front of him just in case Shauna tried to knock him out as well.

"I didn't quite agree with your plan..." Shauna was explaining coolly, as she carefully pocketed her wand in her jeans.

Harry's wand was still suspended in a defensive position; feeling immensely furious at seeing Shauna's most calm facial expression, he asked angrily. "What the hell was the matter with it?"

Shauna narrowed her eyes and looked at him as if he was the most stupid person on the face of the earth. "Do you really think that Voldemort would have spared Hermione and Ron's lives now that he has become invincible?"

Moments of utter silence passed between them. Harry slowly lowered his wand and breathed. "I hadn't thought of that..."

"Well... I'm glad that one of us did." Shauna said, turning towards Ron and Hermione's comatose bodies. "I'm sorry, but it had to done. I don't think they would have wanted to be left behind. But it is _our_ fight against Lord Voldemort, Harry... not theirs. They don't deserve to die..."

Harry answered after some time. "You're right."

"We should be heading for the Forbidden Forest." she declared in a hurry. "That's where the _ASTRALIS BONUM _is supposed to appear. Come on, Harry..."

"Must we leave them here?" Harry felt earnestly concerned as he motioned towards his two passed out best friends on the firm ground.

Shauna nodded her head. "They will be safe inside the Chamber. Don't worry too much about them."

A pending thought installed itself in Harry's mind. "How do you reckon we get out of the here?"

"I was thinking we should..." Shauna was deep in thought as she considered all the feasible possibilities. "... maybe we could climb over the boulders and somehow try to reach towards that opening..." She indicated towards a breach in the chamber wall miles above them. "Or maybe it's better idea to go back the way we came from... back up that slide."

Harry had to shake his head incredulously. "Hermione did that a few times in our first year at Hogwarts." Despite of the fact that their lives were going to be in grave danger in just a few minutes, he couldn't help smiling at her.

"What?" Shauna quickly turned around to face him; she seemed thoroughly confused at what he was trying to say.

"Forgotten that she's a witch." answered Harry, raising his wand towards the opening over them. "Wouldn't it be easier if I just did this...? _Accio Firebolt_!"

The air was beginning to vibrate around them and in mere moments Harry's unsurpassed broomstick was whizzing towards them through the gap above in the chamber. It stopped directly in front of Harry, hovering neatly in midair as he immediately mounted on it. Without any trace of hesitation, Shauna climbed on the Firebolt behind him.

"I guess I will never get fully used to the wizarding ways..." she said wistfully, just as Harry kicked off the ground in one swift movement and they were instantly as ascending towards the shadowy but cloudless skies. The rainstorm with all the lightening and thundering seemed to have completely stopped and vanished as if it never had occurred.

A current of air swept past them, causing the Firebolt to jerk a little. Reflexively, Shauna grabbed around Harry's waist for some support and she held onto him for some time. They flew over Hogwarts and then started towards the direction of the Forbidden Forest. As they soared above the massive treetops, Shauna suddenly pointed her hand forward and exclaimed; her eyes wide opened. "Harry... do you see that?"

He couldn't believe his eyes when he caught sight of what she was talking about. Harry reduced speed of the Firebolt until it came to a compete stop and then just stared ahead of him, stunned. "What the hell is it?" Harry found himself asking her; a whiff of fear touched his heart.

A giant pool of brilliant silvery light was shining down towards a certain patch of the Forbidden Forest. There appeared to be no beginning as the light was gleaming down from deep space. Small dazzling specks of what looked quite similar to fireflies were revolving around the radiance of light in a haphazard style.

It seemed as if Shauna didn't have an inkling of what lay ahead of them because she was shaking her head and too, was just as dazed as Harry. "Do you think this is Lord Voldemort's doing?"

"I don't know. But I think we'd better find out." Harry speculated, lowering the Firebolt and putting on a burst of speed. They flew downwards towards a darkened area of the Forbidden Forest and in mere minutes had landed unnoticeably. A huddle of death eaters were patrolling nearby; their wands sticking out in front of them. Immediately, Harry and Shauna silently concealed themselves behind a large tree trunk.

"How much time is left till the _Noble Star_ appears?" Harry wanted to know, not taking his eyes away from the sight of Lord Voldemort's henchmen.

"About twenty-three minutes." answered Shauna and then asked. "Did you see Voldemort around here?"

Harry nodded his head. "Yeah... I caught a glimpse of him a few moments ago. But I don't understand why he's still in the Forest? I mean... he could be attacking the Ministry now with all his new 'mighty' powers."

"He's still lingering here because he knows that you might come and try to stop him."

A thought crossed Harry's mind and he twisted himself to face Shauna. "Hold on... Voldemort still doesn't know that you're the _Imperium_. Right...?"

"I think so..." she bit her lip.

"That could come to our advantage." Harry was calculating. "But right now we must make sure we're not seen by him or any of the Death Eaters. And when the time comes... we must be ready."

"Yes..." Shauna breathed slowly and subsequently expressed something that was deeply troubling her heart. "Harry... I... I'm really sorry."

He raised his eyebrows, surprised. "For what?"

"For _everything_..." Shauna was saying, without looking him in the eye. Her face was revealing a very distressed expression. "For being really nasty to you all this time..." She paused for a second or so. "I felt lost and... confused... and extremely angry. I was so bloody pissed off for... being thrown into Hogwarts... just like that. I needed to take out that rage on someone and you seemed like a very interesting candidate." she meekly smiled at Harry.

"Why?"

"I had heard stories about you..." she explained. "About how you survived Lord Voldemort's killing curse when you were just a baby and the lightning bolt scar on your forehead... and everything else. Believe it or not, but even after all these years... you're still one of the hottest topic of gossips and discussions in the wizarding world. I... I'm really sorry for causing all the trouble and pain for you, Ron and Hermione. I hope that you can find it somewhere in your heart to forgive me."

Harry sighed. "Yes... Of course. But I still don't understand a lot of things about you, Shauna." He was being realistic. "You leave all these big holes in what you tell me things. What're you trying to hide...?"

Shauna opened her mouth for an explanation, but Harry could see that she was very hesitant about revealing the whole truth. "I promise that you'll be able to understand everything about me when the right time comes." she guaranteed him.

"But not now?"

She almost laughed out aloud. "Are you serious? Now? When Death Eaters are patrolling only a few inches away from us?"

When he didn't say anything, Shauna tried to make everything clear. "I'm really sorry, Harry. Believe me, I _am_. You're a great wizard, and I have come to admire you deeply because of all the fine qualities you possess. You're brave, kind and passionate and a lot more, and I respect you..."

Without warning, Harry reached out and grabbed for her as he pulled Shauna closer to him. "That's it? You just respect me? There's nothing else you feel for me...?"

Shauna was taken aback; tears were starting to brim up in her eyes. "Don't start this now..."

"No, I will start this now, because I want to know the truth." Harry didn't bother loosening his grip on her.

"Fine..." Shauna exclaimed irritably. "I thought I liked you before but I don't anymore."

Harry felt his heart crush; a deep invisible blow was given to him. He instantly released her and drew back. He had wanted to hear from her lips that she was in love with him...

Nobody said anything for a few minutes. Shauna decided to break the silence.

"There's something you need to know, Harry."

He couldn't be troubled enough to ask her what it was.

"I... I'm going to..." It was clearly very hard for Shauna to speak her mind. "I don't know what's going to happen in the future, but there's something that they told me..."

"What?" Harry jerked up his head.

Shauna was now crying. "They told me... that I... that I... I won't be able to survive the prophecy... Harry... I'm going to die..."

_But remember you must breathe your last_. That was one of the verses of the Latin forewarning and Harry had forgotten all about it. "That can't be true!" He was in denial.

"It's true..." insisted Shauna, grief filled her voice. "They told me..."

Harry demanded her. "Who's 'they'?"

Shauna didn't answer him, instead she explained through her tears. "I'm not as powerful as you, Harry. My body won't be able to withstand the energy of the _ASTRALIS BONUM _when I channel it to earth..."

"But why…?" Harry stipulated. "It doesn't make any sense… we _both_ are the righteous constitutes of the Prophecy!"

Shauna looked at him. "It's complicated to explain…"

"I won't allow it!" Harry nearly screamed. "No... You can't die... I won't let you!"

"There's nothing you can do..."

"There might be nothing I can do, but..." Harry snapped. "But _you_ can do something about it!"

Shauna perked up for an impossible solution. "What?"

He grasped her shoulders. "Don't channel the energy from the _Noble Star_. You don't have to do any of this..."

Shauna wouldn't hear of it. "Are you bloody mad? Do you realise what's going to happen to the world if Lord Voldemort wins this war?"

"I do! " Harry was adamant. "And it's not worth it!"

"Then you _are_ BLOODY MAD!" Shauna shouted at him, and then shook her head in complete hopelessness. "There's no other way..."

"Shauna..." But Harry didn't have a chance to say what was on his mind, because she had gently placed her finger on his lips.

"One life against billions of lives..." she uttered forlornly. "You don't know what Voldemort is capable of now. I'd rather be dead then breathe the same air he does."

Harry took hold of her hand and then closed his eyes. He could feel the painful tears pushing out when he didn't want them to. "But then... I'll lose you... forever..."

"Oh Harry..."

He opened his eyes and then drew himself nearer till her had fully pinned her under him completely against the tree. "I always realise when it's too late..."

Shauna was trembling, becoming extremely cautious of his closeness. "R...realise w...what?"

"That I'm in love you..." He whispered in her ear.

"Don't do this..." Shauna turned away from him and made a worthy attempt to push him away.

"I love you, Shauna..." Harry said it again, placing her hand on his heart. "Can you feel what I feel for you now?"

"No!" Shauna was persistent. "You love G... Ginny W... Weasley..."

"But I love you, too... And I'm not going to let you leave me like the way Ginny did..."

She burst into tears. "I have to leave... Harry. I want to die..."

"No you don't... Shauna." Harry said gently, slightly kissing her neck.

She stiffened at his touch and exclaimed with a sense of vigour. "You can't stop me, Harry! My heart is set!"

"But..."

"Please try to understand..." Shauna pleaded as she looked deeply into his eyes. "I don't want to live in a world filled with Lord Voldemort's wrath. We have to be strong and try to let go ... Please!"

Harry let her go.

Shauna could tell from the look in his eyes that he was tremendously hurt. She took a crack at comforting him. "You'll find someone else... Harry. I know it. You're such a charming person..."

But he didn't want to listen to any of this. "Don't give me this bullshit, Shauna!" he didn't care the he was shouting at her or the fact the Death Eaters could hear him. "I want to know what you feel for me!"

There was no trace of hesitance in Shauna's voice. "You're very nice and all, but I just don't love you. I was confused about my feelings at first, however I know now that Jack is the one I love from the bottom of my heart."

Harry flinched in pain at her words.

"I can see ..." he started angrily but he never got to finish his sentence, because suddenly Shauna's eyes were widening with immense terror as she cried out. "Oh no Harry... Watch out!"

-------------------------------------------------------------

(A/N: Please don't forget to review and I truly hope that you guys are enjoying reading this.)


	26. An Army of Hope

**------------------------ CHAPTER 26: An Army of Hope ------------------------**

Without a moment of delay, Shauna abruptly jumped on Harry just as a jet of blue curse hurtled past his ears, missing him by mere inches.

"Voldemort..." he realised with disgust. Harry made a frantic attempt to fish out his wand from his pockets but it seemed to be too late. Lying tangled on the ground, he and Shauna were utterly surrounded by the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters. Their wands were immediately snatched away.

A current of indescribable fear was flushing Harry's heart of all its strength when he shifted his gaze upon the sight of the wizard who had murdered his parents. That horrid sensation was terribly overruling; draining any fragments of hope within him and causing to feel that death was the only way to fully overcome it. Lord Voldemort's physical appearance was no different from before, but the manifestation of all the evil he radiated throughout the Forbidden Forrest was enough to prove that this man was completely unstoppable.

For the first time in his entire life, Harry was frightened of him.

"So, we meet again..." The Dark Lord hissed, pointing his own phoenix-feathered wand at Harry's forehead. "It seems that scar of yours has bonded us even closer than I thought." Then he stirred his probing eyes towards Shauna. "Who's your lady-friend, Potter? Ah... isn't she's the one who almost managed to defeat me? Tell me girl, what spell did you use to conjure and fire those mighty snakes at me?"

When Shauna didn't say anything, the Dark Lord aggressively grabbed her and pulled her so close that his putrid face was no more than a few centimetres away from hers. "When I question someone, I EXPECT THEM TO ANSWER ME!"

"LET GO OF HER!" Harry shouted trying to launch himself on Lord Voldemort but he was instantly seized by his henchmen.

Shauna was exceptionally defiant, as a daring expression was forming on her face. The Dark Lord retained his tight hold on her, waiting for his answer but Shauna didn't utter a sound.

"If that's the way you want it..." Voldemort cracked, as raised his hand in the air and slapped Shauna so hard that collapsed nearly meters away on the ground.

"SHAUNA!" screamed Harry, yanking as hard as his leftover strength would allow him. He then turned in the direction of the Dark Lord. "LEAVE HER ALONE! Your fight is with me, not her!"

Lord Voldemort let out a cackling laugh. "Don't you see Potter, that I'm playing games with you? I'm nowthe _Necromancer_, and it would just be simply _boring_ to kill you and your lady-friend with a simple flick of my wand. Where's the excitement in that? Where's the thrill?"

"You bastard..." Harry's voice was barely above a whisper.

All of a sudden, Shauna swung her leg forward and she kicked Voldemort so forcefully that it made him fall flatly on his face. Crawling on all fours, Shauna managed to grab his wand and snap it into two just before the Death Eaters came and grabbed her by the arms.

"YOU FOOL!" The Dark Lord bellowed with fury blazing out his eyes; he instantly rose from the ground and shouted. "DO YOU THINK THAT I NEED A WAND WHEN I'M NOW THE MOST POWERFUL BEING ON EARTH?" With that, he clasped both is hands together and conjured a ball of blood red fire. The flame's brightness was so intense that it lighted up half of the Forbidden Forest. Voldemort brought the ball of fire closer to Shauna's face and voiced. "Do you what this is capable of, m'dear?"

Shauna gritted her teeth furiously in response.

"This will melt and liquefy your pretty little face." The flame was millimetres away from her face and Harry could see that Shauna wasn't even a little bit frightened of it. Her visage was well composed with that same audacious appearance, and she smirked at the Dark Lord.

"Bring it on, Voldie..." invited Shauna menacingly.

Harry was very much appalled at her impudence and so was the Dark Load. But instead of being infuriated at Shauna, he just sneered at her and then made the red ball of fire fade away. "You're a bold lass and I can appreciate that in people. And that's why I've decided to let you go."

It was Shauna's turn to be shocked. "What...?"

"In fact..." Lord Voldemort continued. "I'm also going to let Harry go. RELEASE THEM." He ordered his hoodlums.

There was an uncanny moment of confusion between the Death Eaters. They looked at each other under their blackened hoods, wondering whether they heard their Lord correct.

"I SAID RELEASE THEM... YOU FOOLS!" Voldemort hollered louder this time. They did exactly what they were commanded.

Harry eyed Shauna and conveyed a look of utter uncertainty as they were given their wands back. But when he glimpsed at the expression on her face, he deduced that she was just as baffled as him. What was Lord Voldemort trying to do?

"I feel like very much like a challenge and a game of cat and mouse seems like an ideal solution... don't you think?" The Dark Lord's terrorizing eyes bored into Harry's. "You children are free to run around the forest, and I'll do my best to hunt you down. How does that sound?"

Shauna angrily positioned her wand towards the Dark Lord and hollered. "AVADA KEDAVRA!" A dazzling green light was flashing all over the place, just as a luminous jet of the killing curse made its way in the direction of Voldemort, striking him squarely in the heart.

Nothing happened.

The Dark Lord guffawed with sheer delight. "YOU SEE... I AM INDESTRUCTIBLE! NOTHING CAN STOP ME! AND NOW... YOU WILL SEE THE POWER AND WRATH OF LORD VOLDEMORT!" With a mighty movement of his hands, he began to chant the ancient words of the energy within the Necromancer. The earth began to shake violently as five gigantic trees closest to them began to slowly rise into air. The sound of their roots and trunks ripping from the terrain was much evident to everyone as it was as Harry. At that exact moment, he grabbed Shauna's hand and started to back away from the uprooting trees.

"What a sight for the world to see!" The Dark Lord was boasting about his own strength and potency. When the trees were meters above the ground, they began to spin in an orderly circular pattern and then were suddenly...

"RUN!" Harry yelled, his face darkening with fear. He tried to pull Shauna but it seemed as if she didn't want to budge. "Come on..."

Shauna was transfixed in one place; she then feebly raised her wand towards the trees that were now powerfully hurtling in their direction. "_Mobiliarbus_!"

"IT'S NOT GONNA WORK!" shouted Harry, pulling her again. Shauna yielded this time, and they struggled to scamper away from the plunging trees. Harry could hear a distant but identifiable cackle coming from Lord Voldemort somewhere.

All of a sudden, the ground cracked open before them and a giant wall thrust out of it, completely blocking their way. Harry turned around; the plummeting trees were going to crash into them in moments. There was no time to do anything... not even to raise his wand and utter a spell. So Harry just closed his eyes and began to pray...

The ear-splitting sounds unexpectedly stopped. Harry somehow managed to open his eyes, even though his heart was telling him that they were simply moments left till death was to prevail over.

"What's happening?" Shauna demanded; terrified at what she was seeing before her. The airborne trees appeared to be completely frozen in midair, inches away from their bodies.

By judging the mystified expression of the Dark Lord's face, Harry realised that this wasn't his doing. But then who...?

"Dumbledore!" Shauna screamed in triumph.

Harry rotated himself and saw a whole army of people approaching them. The Aurors from Ministry of Magic were marching, along with the faithful members of the Order of the Phoenix, the whole of Hogwarts staff and some older students including Ron and Hermione, led by Professor Dumbledore himself.

Voldemort noticed their presence only a second late. But for some reason, he found all of this quite amusing. "You can try to bring together the whole world and make them your allies... BUT STILL YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO DEFEAT ME, DUMBLEDORE!"

Professor Dumbledore pointed his wand at the Dark Lord. "You are correct in one sense, Riddle. But you've failed to truly estimate the power of good and strength of love. Not all magic comes from might or supremacy; most of it is rooted from trust, loyalty, courage and the sheer ability to love others. And that is what we are based upon, for we are an ARMY OF HOPE to the world..."

"Are you saying that you still have the audacity to battle me?" The Dark Lord was snarling. "Then so be it! I would simply relish killing each and every one of you!"

"And every one of us who dies battling the dark forces will relish an honourable death." Professor Dumbledore declared. "I can assure you that, Tom Riddle! For the wizarding world is no longer afraid of you!"

"YOU SHOULD BE AFRAID!" With that Lord Voldemort raised his hands towards the skies as he chanted the prodigious ancient curses. The air around them was beginning to change and fear was instantly enveloping the hearts of everyone. They sensed that destruction, death and bloodshed were imminent. Buy they were willing and prepared to die...

The war between good and evil had finally begun.

-----------------------------------------------------------

"Come on..." Shauna grabbed Harry's arm. "We've got to get out of here!"

"But..." Harry tried to object, watching wizards and witches valiantly fighting Voldemort's great evil. "They need our help..."

"NO! Dumbledore is trying to create a diversion so we can stop Voldemort once and for all. Look!" Shauna pointed in the direction of the heavens. A sparkling white star was accelerating towards them, leaving behind a magical trail of stardust. Its sight was so breathtaking that Harry could have stared at it till the end of time.

"Let's go." she insisted. But before they could even move, a voice shouted. "_Expelliarmus!_"

Both Harry's and Shauna's wand flew out of their hands. They turned around to see Draco Malfoy standing elatedly behind them, complete with a smirk of victory on his face.

"Dad's gonna be so proud of me..." Malfoy was bragging about. "And imagine the look on the Dark Lord's face when I tell him that I've killed his greatest nemesis!" He idiotically pointed his wand at Harry and said. "I always wanted to do this, Potter. _AVADA KEDAV_..."

Ron suddenly appeared in the rear and struck him extremely hard on his head with a long tree bark. Malfoy instantly passed away and fell unconscious onto the ground.

"Git..." Ron was muttering in disbelief. "After all that we've been through, Malfoy here seems like a challenge the size of a peanut." He handed Harry and Shauna their wands. "You two better hurry up and do whatever that you're supposed to be doing. There's only minutes left."

"This is it... Harry." Shauna declared with a hint of melancholy. Harry could easily see her eyes moistening with aching tears.

The three of them hurried away from the fierce battle that taking place between Lord Voldemort and Professor Dumbledore's new instituted Army of Hope. They followed the path of the _ASTRALIS BONUM _towards the pool of the light they had seen earlier in the skies. It was then Harry understood. "The Star is going to stop itself inside that silvery pool in a few minutes. And that is where you have to be when you channel the ASTRALIS BONUM's energy to earth."

Shauna nodded, indicating that she well comprehended. After a few seconds, they reached the patch of the Forbidden Forest where the silvery pool was shining upon. She submissively stepped into the light and waited for the ASTRALIS BONUM to take its position.

"You still have a chance. Please don't do this, Shauna..." Harry begged her, knowing her destiny would lead to her demise.

"Why not...?" Ron was surprised, and he looked towards Harry for an explanation.

"Shauna's the one who's going to die according to the damned Prophecy!" Harry exclaimed furiously.

There was a sincere look of hurt on Ron's expression. "Oh my God..."

"It's too late..." Shauna closed her eyes and shook her head. "The world is counting on me to save them, and if I can't give them that... then I can _never_ forgive myself. Please try to understand..."

Harry didn't want her to die. It wasn't fair... he had finally realised that he was in love with her and learned to let go of Ginny Weasley's memory in peace. But now Shauna was going to leave him and he was going to lose her, forever...

"I love you..." These words weren't even a whisper when Harry declared them.

Shauna seemed to be trying her best to ignore him when she hoisted up her wand and simply uttered. "_Tutis Contego_!" A green blaze of light emitted from the tip of her wand and fashioned a defensive shield around herself and the silvery pool of light.

"What are you doing?" Ron asked, taking a few step away from her.

There was no reluctance in Shauna's words. "The energy of the Noble Star is so piercing that it can not be withstood by anyone except for the Harry_._ With this shield around me, the energy won't be able to escape when I route its power to earth and thus it won't kill everyone else in the process."

Harry had to try one last time. Wiping his tears away, he pleaded his soul out to her. "Shauna... We'll find another way to kill Voldemort. Please..."

She sadly smiled at him. "If we can't destroy him now... then we'll never be able to kill him."

Harry felt so numb, so lost in the desolated fear of losing someone he loved so dearly. He never wanted to be happy again, never wanted to smile. For the world, it would be the supreme conquest if the Dark Lord was ridded of. But for Harry, it would be none other than a pure defeat... because Shauna wasn't going to be there to share the joy and happiness of the humanity's victory. He'd rather see the world in ruins and imprisoned in the atrociousness of Lord Voldemort, than to witness Shauna dutifully die in front of him. Harry knew what he was demanding was incredibly selfish indeed, but that desire was only rooted out of his love for her. And he would do anything for her...

"Can't we exchange destinies or something?" Harry demanded unthinkingly. "What if I channel the stupid star's energy and you can amplify it? Isn't there any way that I can die instead?"

Shaun's lips trembled; glistening tears were falling down her cheeks. "No... We can not turn away nor can we try to change what was designed for us. "

A feeling of maddened anger surged past Harry. "I don't want to live... not if you're not there with me!" His face automatically softened a little when he saw Shauna's touched expression. "Don't you realise that my love for you gives me right to keep you alive? Don't you understand that I love you with all my heart..." His tears wouldn't stop. He reached out his hand to touch Shauna, but was unable to because the protective shield was blocking him.

He watched her trying to refrain herself from revealing her true emotions, but it seemed at that moment Shauna couldn't take it any longer. With a confused look, she burst out crying. "Oh Harry... I... I ...love you, too. You're such a wonderful person and I'm going to miss you so bloody much. I'm sorry about all of this... and I wish things could have turned out differently. I didn't want to tell you the truth... until now because then you wouldn't have let me do this." She paused slightly. "I have always loved you, Harry Potter... since the day I met you all those years ago..."

There was something about her last statement that didn't make full sense to Harry.

Shauna then turned towards Ron and spoke through her twinkling tears. "And guess what... I love you too, Ron Weasley... with all my heart and soul. You've been the best brother ever a witch could ever have. Please... tell everyone that I love them very much, especially Fred and George. Oh... I'm going to miss their nasty pranks. And… tell mum and dad that... I will never ever forget them... and that I will always love them... no matter what happens..."

Harry was too dumbstruck for words to come out of his mouth.

It was Ron who dared to whisper. "Ginny...?"

-------------------------------------------------------------

(A/N: SO WHAT DID YOU THINK?

DID YOU LIKE WHAT I DID IN THE END?

WERE U SURPRISED?

Plz leave a LONG, **DETAILED** REVIEW of your thoughts on the story etc.

THANKS to everyone for reviewing! I've received nothing but positive comments and it really perks me up, because I love reading them and the more reviews I receive - the more encouraged I get to write better. I LUV U ALL! )


	27. You'll be in my Heart

**--------------------- CHAPTER**** 27: You'll be in my Heart -------------------**

_When destiny calls you  
You must be strong  
I may not be with you  
But you've got to hold on  
They'll see in time…  
I know  
We'll show them together_

_'Cause you'll be in my heart  
Believe me, you'll be in my heart  
I'll be there from this day on,  
Now and forever more_

_Oh, you'll be in my heart  
I'll be there for you… always…  
You'll be in my heart, always  
Always…_

----------------------------------------------------------

Recoiling suddenly as if the name Ron Weasley had just spoken was the most cursed utterance, she shut her eyes tightly and slowly fell on her knees. Tears were streaming down her grief-stricken face and she clutched at her heart, which seemed to be paining her to such a great extent that Harry could almost not bear to look at her.

"G…Ginny…" Ron's quivering undertone was not in doubt anymore; his disbelieved expression was now definite with certainty, together with a blend of mystification and absolute joy. He was edging a few steps towards the jaded green defensive shield that had so intentionally captivated his little sister. "Oh Ginny..."

She seemed to force open her moist emerald eyes and then face the two boys, giving Harry the chance to finally examine the essence of reality in them. They seemed to be devoid of any signs of life; drowning in an endless pool of agony and despair. And yet, those same saddened eyes were a seamless window to her soul and Harry's heart soared towards the heavens when saw not Shauna, but his own Ginny in them.

Feelings of sky-rocketing joy that he was now experiencing were just too wonderful for words. Confusion was not enveloping Harry's mind, only victory. There never was a 'Shauna Swirl' because it had been Ginny Weasley all along, who was very much alive and silently breathing within a body that did not belong to her. Tear drops of pain in Harry's eyes had instinctively dried up but now a fresh batch were forming; rooted deep down from the ecstasy of finding the only person he truly loved only a few inches away from him. Ginny wasn't dead…

Ron pressed his face against the barricade of the protective shield. "But I don't understand…" he was saying. "How could this have happened? It's not possible to come back from the dead. And we had buried you…"

"It's a long story… the Triad Prophecy was never declared for Shauna Swirl… it was intended for me." Ginny voiced with an odd smile as she mopped her tears away and looked longingly towards her brother. It strangely appeared as if she was finally content with who she really was. "They… will explain everything to you… I promise."

A blanket of fear cloaked Harry's blissful thoughts and his ecstasy exploded into sensations of million horrors. If 'Shauna' was supposed to die according to the Triad Prophecy, then so would Ginny…

"Get rid of the shield!" he shouted almost immediately.

Both Ron's and his sister's heads turned towards him. It was Ginny who spoke. "I can't… Harry."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Harry blew up with rage. "You're going to BLOODY DIE!"

"I thought I had explained it to…" Ginny started but Ron cut her words.

"Harry's right! Lift the shield off of you!"

Her plastered expression revealed that she wasn't going to change her mind. "No…"

"GET OUT OF THERE, RIGHT NOW!" roared Harry, as he went closer and commanded her once more. "DAMN IT, GINNY! DO IT RIGHT NOW!"

She just shook her head.

"ARE YOU CRAZY?" Ron demanded his little sister. "There's no time left."

Ginny stared at both of them with defiance. "I'm NOT going to let Lord Voldemort win!"

She was crazy and there was no doubt about it that Ginny was going to give up her life. Harry firmly fixed his eyes with her wild ones while inclining thoughtlessly against the shield's barrier. "I lost you once, Ginny… and I'm NOT going to lose you again!"

A flicker of hesitation danced across her face and Ginny bit her lip as tears of harsh realisation were beginning to shimmer. She seemed to be having second thoughts about wanting to depart this life permanently and leaving everyone she loved behind her.

"Come on, Gin…" Ron had noticed her tentativeness as well, and he was encouraging her in the gentlest of voices. "Just remove the shielding charm off of you…"

Her mouth was hung open; it seemed as if a thousand debating questions were whizzing through her mind. Her eyes were lost in the vast confines of an anguished world; unimaginable to a wizard or witch because of the much hurt and suffering she had to endure behind closed doors. It was a challenging decision poor Ginny had to make; two ripper choices that would tear her into merciless pieces and either way she would have to pay the ultimate price.

"Ginny… please…" Harry was begging. "Lift the protective shield… please…"

Her wand was clutched firmly in her hand, and she squeezed it even tighter as if considerating feverishly whether listen to Harry or not. At last she glanced up at the boys, looked at them in the eyes and slowly declared her final decision. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you stop me…"

It was no use to knock sense into Ginny's deranged head. Precious time was rapidly trickling away, and seconds were left before the _ASTRALIS BONUM _would position itself over her. With his wand gripped securely in his grasp, Harry uplifted it towards her and the shield, while exclaiming with the rage of a thousand angry bulls. "_PERCUTIO CONTEGO!" _

The tip of his wand instantly propelled a powerful charm and it struck Ginny's shield with an incredible stabbing force in order to break it. But nothing happened seeing that the shield was as intact as ever. "DAMN IT!" Harry cried deliriously. He flashed another severing charm, hoping with all his heart that it would perform the crucial task.

Ron also got the picture of what Harry was trying to do and joined him. "_DISCERPO_!" he exclaimed loudly, setting off a silvery razor-sharp jet from his wand that ineffectively crashed into the mightily conjured shield.

"It's no use…" Ginny spoke softly as tears continuously spilled down her cheeks. "You can't break the armour of the Emerald Shield Charm."

But neither Harry nor Ron heeded her in the plight to stop. At that moment, a dazzling stream of light which was perfectly silhouetted against the jaded green of the protective shield fell upon Ginny. Harry looked up in terror to find the _ASTRALIS BONUM_ slowly setting itself over her.

"NO…" Harry shouted in fear, as he frantically pointed his wand at the _Noble Star_ and gave the command to destroy. "_ATTERO_!" At once, a bluish jet escaped from the end of his wand and fired up towards the skies. But it disintegrated into a million pieces as if crashing into an invisible wall before it even reached the brim of the atmosphere, and Harry was horrified.

"_Finite Incantatum_!"Ron's voice was exclaiming over the booming sounds of the thunder that was beginning to roar above them.

Harry realised that spells weren't going to do anything. It was all up to Ginny. With a panic-stricken glance towards her… Harry hysterically cried out, knowing this would be his last chance. "I LOVE YOU… GINNY. DON'T LEAVE ME… PLEASE! Don't do this… I love you…"

Wiping away her tears, Ginny raised her wand towards the _Noble Star_ with a valiant air of appearance, and spoke gently in a miraculously composed tone. "You'll always be in my heart…"

"GINNY… NO!" Ron screamed out loud.

She paid no attention to her brother; instead she looked at them for what all three of them knew would be her last time, as she slowly began to recite in the purest of voices.

"_When I am dead, my dearest,  
Sing no sad songs for me;  
Plant thou no roses at my head,  
Nor shady cypress tree,_

_But be the green grass above me,  
With showers and dewdrops wet;  
And if thou wilt, remember,  
And if thou wilt, forget…_"

"GINNY…" Harry started, but was instantly cut short when luminous streaks of lightning began to flash before him, radiating such a piercing white flare that almost took the light out of his eyes. The Forbidden Forrest ricocheted with cacophony of the powerful thunder clapping violently against the deep folds of the spectral sky. Heaps of shadowed rain clouds swirled above them at cracking speed, while the intense thrust of the wind blew at its best to try and knock off everyone their feet. The _ASTRALIS BONUM _wickedly smiled down upon the sweeps of the forest and with its deadly but silent whispers was calling out to the _Channeler _… enticing her to do the absolute bidding.

It cost Harry a whole second to realise that there was no possible way to save Ginny. An aching and desolate 'no' was all that could escape his mouth.

With a look of the most profound valour on her face and making sure she didn't lock eyes with either Ron or Harry, Ginny mightily thrust her wand towards the _Noble Star_ and cried out. "_IMPERIUM COMMANDS FOR THE BLESSED LIGHT_!"

Harry watched in horror as a solid silvery beam projected out from the tip of her raised wand and began to encircle around her in endless spirals; a faint humming noise gently droning in the background. Ginny's coal-black hair was flapping briskly behind her by the fierce force of the howling wind. Her face had gone ghostly white and the dark pupils had suddenly disappeared, leaving her eyes completely pale and blanched. They were crackling with small currents of silver lightning; it crazily seemed as if it were being shaped by the raging war between her mind and her heart.

With all that was going on, Harry noticed moments too late… the eminent presence of Lord Voldemort standing behind them, a vicious smirk of triumph plastered upon his fetid face.

"What a wonderful display…" The Dark Lord guffawed, referring to the glowing sight of Ginny.

Instantly, Harry was whipping his wand towards him. Once again, fear was mounting within him; the exact same terror that had clouded his mind before when he had first seen the Dark Lord as the _Necromancer_. Ron also became aware of him and immediately went on his guard.

Voldemort cackled yet another terrible laugh. "Why do you children keep on insisting that you can stop me?"

Harry's mouth had suddenly gone choking dry. He and Ron weren't strong enough to take on the Dark Lord by themselves. Where were Professor Dumbledore and the rest of people from the Ministry of Magic and the Order of the Phoenix? His mind wanted to rummage through the sudden and desperate ideas that would lead to the obstruction of Lord Voldemort, but it gave a pretty good impression of being fully petrified.

Without any warning, the Dark Lord shot a merciless curse at Ron. Harry's heart plunged in fear when he saw his best friend rocketing off the ground and crashing no less than a mile away from them. Ron lay motionless… but apparently not dead.

"NO!" Harry screamed as Voldemort swung his wand towards Ginny. He was going to kill her…

An unexpected surge of energy was beginning to develop inside of Harry, a deeper… more intense power that he couldn't make sense of. It was an uncanny fusion of strength, courage, love and hope… and were apportioned in correct doses to raise him to a level same that of Lord Voldemort. Weird and wonderful that energy was, and he sensed it killing every grain of fear that that had captured his heart earlier. The power spread within him at a rapid pace, exactly in the same rate as cancer would proliferate inside a dying man; only it wasn't anything close to dying… but like being born again with the sort of serrated energy that was otherwise inconceivable to mankind. Harry very well knew that he wasn't mighty enough to conjure something like this, and he hadn't a clue how the external power managed to penetrate through him. The only thing that really mattered now was to stop Lord Voldemort and his evil once and for all.

For a moment, everything felt light and floaty and it was remarkable how a simple spell like the Impediment Jinx seemed so powerful to Harry. He raised his wand towards the direction of the Dark Lord and uttered in a surprisingly calm voice. "_Impedimenta_."

A range of bluish sparks issued out of his wand along with a prominent sapphire jet that tore towards Voldemort. The curse struck him in a fraction of a second and the Dark Lord was blasted into air as he hurled forcefully against a tree by the most violent means.

There was brief sensation of shock in Harry's heart and he was astonished by his own new founded strength. Once again, his mind began to wander how he could have managed to obtain this pleasurable feeling of omnipotent power. He turned to face Ginny and it was then Harry realised the answer.

A brilliant fountain of light was showering upon her just like the spring rain falls dreamily upon its favourite flowers. She was channelling the power of the _Noble Star _and was almost finished transferring it to Harry with the tip of her wand. It was the pure energy of the _ASTRALIS BONUM_ that was entering him… and Harry being the _Amplifier_ was able to magnify it by millions making him as strong as Lord Voldemort (maybe even more than that). And now, he was adept enough to tear Voldemort down forever.

The Dark Lord was on his feet in a few seconds with an expression of total disbelief transfixed on his menacing features. "NO!" he cried in a jolt.

"Yeah… that's right" Harry shouted in feat, advancing in the direction of Voldemort. "I'm now just as powerful as you are and let's see how you win this one!" He raised his wand towards the Dark Lord and fired a Reductor Curse at him without uttering the actual spell. Harry didn't know why, but it seemed so ridiculously effortless and the control he had over his magical powers was incredible. His wand directly seemed to obey Harry's thoughts to launch a spell rather than incantations spoken out loud.

Lord Voldemort was blasted off the ground once again and Harry had to laugh heartlessly at the coup. "Did you enjoy killing all those wizards and witches?" he demanded the murderer. "And did you really think that you could have gotten away with it? Now I can understand why you crave for so much power… because the feeling of invincibility is beyond description, isn't it? I can feel it running through my veins this very moment, and let me proudly tell you… I enjoy being indestructible the same way you do!"

In sheer panic, the Dark Lord cast a Scorching Curse at his nemesis. But with a simple flick of his wand, Harry had demolished the scarlet jet before it even came within a few feet of him.

"Is that the best you can do?" he roared at Voldemort. Then the fury came; Harry was expecting it. The anger of losing his parents almost seventeen years ago, the rage of watching Cedric Diggory helplessly dropping dead in front of him, the anguish of Sirius Black's pointless murder, the pain of burying Ginny away in the deep earth and the torment seeing Ron hurt a few minutes ago… all of it was adding up to bring into being the most formidable kind of wrath that Harry had ever felt in his years. And that exact moment was time for him to let loose all that accumulated fury.

The _Noble Star's_ blend of power was once again escalating, and Harry could intensely feel it multiplying inside of him at lightening speed. It flowed amid his blood, stretching out to every nook and cranny of his body until reaching to the tip of his fingers. Harry elevated his wand and circumspectly took aim at the black heart of Voldemort; his hands were vibrating with the energy that was bursting to be released. He watched as the Dark Lord's unsightly façade wrenching in horror when Harry finally cried out by means of the strongest belief in his beating heart. "_AVADA KEDAVRA_!"

Blinding emerald flashes erupted from end of the Harry's wand and burst out in various directions; it formed into a stag just like his Patronus but was the shade of a glittery green as opposed to the usual brilliant silver. The radiant stag lowered its head and pointed the branched antlers at Lord Voldemort and like a rampaging bull began to charge at him. The thundering sound of its hooves lashed through the air whilst wisps of jade green smoke trailed behind its imprints. In a twinkling of a second, the stag had enveloped around the stooping outline of the Dark Lord, crushing him and causing the destruction of the once most powerful wizard the once roamed the world.

Voldemort's screams of death were much evident as it reverberated against the masses of trees in the Forbidden Forest. The greenish glow of the stag continued to crush him, till he was compressed into a microscopic form; merely a simple atom. A deafening resonance of a blast was heard, the earth fiercely shook, just as Tom Marvolo Riddle was forever erased from existence. Lord Voldemort, sovereign of all evil, had been subdued by death at last.

The very last traces of the emerald stag finally vanished into the atmosphere. Drops of rain started to spray upon Harry from the dark clouds above; it strangely seemed as if the rainwater was being sent purposely to cleanse any residue of evil left by the Dark Lord.

A smile lit upon Harry's face and he raised his head towards the skies to taste the sweetness of the pouring rain. A burst of happiness exploded inside of him; he was finally released from his impending duties to purify the world from the _Depraver_. But his moment of joy was short-lived when fleeting thoughts of Ginny crossed the threshold of his mind.

Harry Potter twisted around devastatingly; only to find his beloved sprawled on the ground before him. The last remaining silvery beam from the _ASTRALIS BONUM _fell upon her as small dazzling specks of light fluttered around her body in an uneven manner.

It required no effort on Harry's part to realise that she was dead.

----------------------------------------------------------

(A/N: I'm SORRY! I can only apologise for the VERY LENGTHY delay. IM REALLY SORRY! Please forgive me…

I would be very grateful if u left a review… I really want to know how this chapter has turned out. I must admit it was one of the hardest ones to write and I guess that's why I'm so anxious for feedback.

Again, I hope the story is up to the reader's expectations and hope u have enjoyed reading it. AND VERY MANY THANKS TO ALL THE REVIEWERS!)


	28. The Settling of the Dust

(A/N: Hey everybody! One of the last few chapters… Please bear in mind that I plotted the events of the story before _Order of the Phoenix_ was released, so expect some contradictions and changes from JK Rowling's storyline. But I have tried my best to keep it as correct as possible. Enjoy reading…)

**--------------------- CHAPTER 28: The Settling of the Dust --------------------**

For a whole minute, there was plain numbness… a complete lack of sensation, and Harry didn't seem to fully understand what he was seeing in front of him or what the hell had just happened.

The feelings came, bit by bit… and Harry couldn't have given a damn… didn't care a twopence. So what... if Ginny was dead? Big deal… people die everyday, yeah? Then why should it be such a biggie if the only person he ever loved from the core of his heart was lying lifeless under that beautiful cascade of light? Why should he be bothered? And there was _no possible way_ that Harry was going to care now… he had mourned enough for the death of his parents, Sirius Black and for the infamous Ginny Weasley when she had died the first time. He had wasted an adequate amount of tears upon them and it had been bloody plentiful!

Yeah… Harry Potter wasn't cracked in the head to start crying like a baby over a tinsy winsy little thing. He was going to enjoy the rest of his life and live it to the fullest. So Harry laughed out loud… Ah, what a thing to do... laugh… and laugh and laugh. Just laugh, enjoy and have fun. And damn! Ginny seemed really funny sprawled dead on the ground like that. So bloody hilarious…

If anyone had been watching Harry right this moment would straight away think that he had completely lost his mind and very much needed to be locked away at St. Mungos. And just maybe, he _had_ really gone mad…

It was only then when he felt something draining from his traumatized body, that Harry was hauled back to sanity. Heavy rain sprayed harshly upon his confused expression, but even the waterlogged glasses on his face didn't fail to blind Harry's eyes. They seemed to be focused intently on one solitary spot…

Harry's heart began to plunge into a crevasse of fear that was lined with sharp-edged rocks; he felt it being crushed and ripped into countless pieces. Realisation of the truth struck him again like a thunderbolt and at the same time, an invisible mighty blow was delivered to his already splintered soul. She was dead…

Without wasting a single moment, he hurried towards Ginny's motionless body and fell frantically on his knees. Grabbing her shoulders, Harry began to shake her by the most aggressive means and then screamed. "GINNY! GINNY… DAMN YOU! GET UP!" What Harry wasn't getting himself that he was desperately clinging onto a hopeless chance of seeing Ginny Weasley alive once more. And perhaps, that was the reason why he had lifted one of her wrists and was searching hastily for a beating pulse within her. Harry's mind couldn't or rather didn't want to register what he was seeing before him… a lifeless Ginny.

And to his utter dismay, only emptiness could be found within her... devoid of any living heartbeat.

Just the thought of her departing this life, for the second time, was enough to make him go downright crazy. But Harry knew he had to restrain himself from it and do something. Slowly, he tried to empty his mind as now emotions and thoughts had fused together, resulting in trash. He pushed it out and generated a kind of power – control, which lent a generous hand in pacifying him and helped him to think clearly for once. Delving deep down into his thoughts, Harry managed to uncurtain the wedged feelings, only to realise that he still was very much contained with the amplified powerof the _ASTRALIS BONUM_.

He could resurrect Ginny with no effort… breath life into her into her inert body; because at that moment… Harry was the most powerful wizard in the universe. Immediately, he was on his feet and his vibrating wand was taking careful aim at Ginny's heart. But before he could direct an enchantment at her, Harry became aware that the _Noble Star's_ energy was suddenly diminishing when he noticed tiny rice-shaped grains, glowing brightly in the dark were spilling out of his body at bolting speed. He couldn't feel the force of the star's power flowing amid him…

Harry began to gasp heavily for air, as a wave of fear began to ripple inside of him and he recklessly tried holding onto the squirming grains with his frenzied hands and to Harry, it was like trying to keep splashing water in a sieve. In delicate moments, the last dregs of the _Noble Star's_ energy had escaped from his body, through his trembling hands and were vanishing within the vast volume of the earth beneath him… taking with them the last speck of hope of bringing Ginny back to life…

Certainly, all hope was now gone…

Hot tears were stinging his eyes, and Harry knew he was about to suffer the sort of pain and hurt he had never felt in his life before. Because of him, Ginny Weasley had died, not just this one time but twice. And he wouldn't be able to handle any of it. Dropping his wand thoughtlessly onto the ground, he collapsed on his knees and braced himself for what was inevitable…

The pain tore through him without any warning; heartlessly whipping and lashing every muscle in his body and eventually reaching to crush his heart. It wasn't anything close to the Cruciatus Curse, for the reason that the hurting hadn't been conjured by an external curse but because of his own anguish. He readily welcomed the pain; rather he wanted it to damage him as much as possible… he desired it even though he knew it would eventually kill him. Life didn't matter anymore… so he let the agony bathe all over him, let the anguish devour him and the hurt engulf him. And Harry couldn't have cared less because he owed that to Ginny. He owed it to her to feel her loss from this world… and simply because she had loved him, too.

He could not stop muttering her name in despair as he raised her limp body partly off the ground and held her to close to his wasting heart. In the middle of the pouring rain, Harry rocked her in his arms as tears driven from intense pain fell gently upon Ginny's cheek, blending in with the rainwater.

"I love you so much…" Harry clung to her ever closer, craving like mad to lend her a part of his heart and soul so he could see her breathing, yet again.

With all that he was going through these terrible moments, Harry didn't even hear his name being called through the rain. It was only when someone touched his arm, he looked up and saw Hermione; her bushy hair was all straightened because of the heavy downpour. His best friend was wearing the look of the most felt grief on her face, as she crouched down beside him and Ginny. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Harry…"

"She's gone…" Harry managed to whisper through the choking tears. "She's gone forever."

Hermione sadly watched him, with glistening tears brimming up in her eyes. The only thing she could do was to softly shake her head at the striking realisation. "I'm so sorry…" she said again.

He couldn't stop shivering in the midst of the frosting cold, but in spite of everything he didn't stop swaying Ginny's body back and forth with him; still clutching her close to his body. He knew Hermione must have been thinking that he was crazy, but Harry couldn't care less about it.

Harry just wanted to die, just like his Ginny…

"Come on…" Hermione was motioning him; her voice very controlled. "Harry, we'd better get inside Hogwarts. It's freezing out here…"

"NO!"

In respect for her best friend, she didn't utter any other words to reason further and silently stayed alongside Harry, just watching him willingly drown himself deeper and deeper in his remorse.

What felt like hours passed before them in the form a few minutes, and Harry's pain hadn't lessened…

"Why did she have to die…?" Harry kept demanding angrily, his teary eyes tightly closed in hopelessness.

"Harry…" Hermione began, trying to be as soothing as she could. "It had been foretold in the Triad Prophecy that someone would die… and none of us could have done anything to prevent Shauna from…"

"Shauna?" Harry cried, jerking his head up and then facing Hermione in surprise. Instantly, he realised that she didn't know about the switch. Of course she didn't. No one else knew about it expect for him and Ron. He wanted to tell her this but he couldn't think of the appropriate words suitable enough for the horrid truth.

Hermione was quick to notice that something was terribly off the beam. "What's the matter, Harry? Why did you flinch like that at her name?"

The answer eventually came from him, but after a little while. "There never had been a Shauna Swirl…"

"What are you talking about?" Hermione appeared truly confused; a frightened expression was reluctantly forming on her face.

When Harry miserably turned his head away, Hermione asked again; her tone slightly more pitchy than usual. "What do you mean 'there never had been a Shauna Swirl'?

"There never had been a Shauna Swirl…" Harry echoed sadly. And even now… after knowing the truth for quite some time, the subsequent words did not fail to strike a mighty blow to Harry's heart. "Because it was Ginny the whole time…"

Her eyes widened abruptly and Hermione let out a gasp; she seemed incredibly horrified. "No… that's not true… Harry!"

Harry's silence and his rapid tears signified the weight of his truthfulness.

She rose swiftly, staggering backwards. "No! That can't be true!" Hermione seemed to be in denial, appearing very frantic and Harry couldn't understand her sudden and bizarre reaction. "NO! It can't be! Why didn't I…? I should have…" Next, she had buried her face in her hands and was sobbing uncontrollably.

"Hermione… What are you trying to say?" Harry demanded of her.

She wouldn't stop crying or even look up at him, but just spoke solemnly. "Oh Harry… I suspected Shauna to be Ginny… but I…"

Her words were a spiteful slap in his face. "YOU KNEW…?" Harry shouted; a small kindle of anger licked his insides.

She looked up; apparently aghast. "No, I didn't… It was just a silly suspicion, but I didn't realise…"

In less than a second, Harry was on his feet and he aggressively grabbed Hermione's shoulders. "YOU BLOODY KNEW THAT SHAUNA WAS GINNY?"

Her voice was meek and timid. "Harry… I only suspected…but it couldn't have been possible since the dead can't come back…" But she had to stop in mid-sentence, seeing the fiery sparks of fury erupting from Harry's eyes.

"YOU FUCKING KNEW! AND YOU COULDN'T BE BOTHERED ENOUGH TO TELL ME?"

"Harry… please … it's not like that at all…" Hermione pleaded; panic clouding her face.

That small kindle of anger was suddenly ignited within him; bursting out with flames of formidable wrath. He was so furious; so wild with rage that he wanted to kill someone. Poor Hermione, still in his seemingly toxic grip saw those flames and grew terrified with raw fear. Without any subtle warning, Harry brutally pushed her to the ground and then picked up his wand which was lying a few inches away from them. Stepping over her, he aimed the phoenix-feathered wand towards his horror-struck best friend and he didn't care if he was out of his mind.

"YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME… BITCH!" he roared at her.

She appeared scared stiff, avoiding the tip of the weapon in Harry's hands and somehow managed to stifle out. "I… I'm sorry…"

The edge of his wand was now glowing like ember, and was sending out the same sort of blazing sparks that had fired up in his eyes.

"Please d… don't! H… Harry… stop it!" Hermione sobbed; her words faltering because of increasing nervousness. "I'm so sorry!"

But no traces of mercy encapsulated his heart of solid lead and he felt a brutal punishment was in order for Hermione Granger. He took no notice of her pleas to stop; instead he positioned his wand on the base of her neck, very much ready to utter the curse that would hurt her best…

"STOP!" A commanding voice ringed in Harry's ears. He turned around to see Professor Dumbledore standing before them, his wand firmly stretched out in front of him. "Put your wand down, Harry."

The wand quivered in Harry's hand, and it was at that instant he noticed that his breathing had gone hard and raspy. Some sense was also knocked into his head, but that even didn't abate Harry's raging anger. For this reason, he didn't move a single muscle…

Dumbledore repeated himself. "Harry, put your wand down. Please do it right now."

"NO!" Harry shouted in defiance. How could he explain to the Hogwart's Headmaster? How could he explain to Hermione the pain he was suffering right that moment? Or the anger? His feelings were far beyond any description…

But somehow Professor Dumbledore seemed to have read Harry's mind when he uttered. "Harry, though I possibly can not feel what you are going through right this minute, I am able to sense a trace of it. It is not Miss Granger's fault for all that has happened and there's no reason for you to discharge any of the anger upon her. Please… remove you wand off of her."

Harry looked up at him with trembling lips and tears of anguish burning his eyes. Without any further thought, he lowered his wand.

The Headmaster came up beside them, gazed at Hermione for a while and then down upon Ginny's body. He spoke to Harry, but didn't face him

"Forgive me, Harry…" Dumbledore spoke with the mark of sorrow in his tone. "I beg of you to forgive me. I remember you asking me to explain the mysteries revolving around the Triad Prophecy in my office before, and I did not because I had given my word to someone. And I had also said that in time all the pieces will eventually fall into place. Harry, I think that time has come."

Harry sneered at the Headmaster. There he was off again; explaining, elucidating and clearing up all the vagueness and Harry didn't want to hear any of it.

"Please, Harry… you need to listen and you need to understand." insisted Professor Dumbledore. "I'm sorry, but the truth will tear you into a further million places and there is nothing anyone can do about. It is important…"

"NO! I DON"T WANT TO LISTEN TO ANYTHING! GET THE FUCK OUT MY FACE!" Harry bellowed with fury, knowing that he was going too far and he didn't dive a damn about it.

A wave of silence enveloped the Professor, and he started to observe Harry in the most peculiar way. Minutes later, he voiced again. "My confession will be brief. But I am very afraid to tell you, Harry that it is me who should be guilty of the charge that you have been placing on Miss Granger. I have known for a long time, and possessed much evidence of the fact that Shauna Swirl was not Shauna Swirl in fact, but Arthur Weasley's youngest daughter."

Harry eye's dilated out of shock, followed by the hundredth mighty jolt to his heart. "WHAT?"

"Yes, Harry. You heard me…" Dumbledore confided, tears shimmering behind his half-moon spectacles. "I know everything and I am burdened upon the secret whispers of the Triad Prophecy. But I couldn't tell you… for the sake of the world and … and for you very own…"

Cursing again in wrath, Harry whipped his wand in the Headmaster's direction and declared. "I should kill you…"

"HARRY, NO!" Hermione protested, trying her best to snatch Harry's wand of his hand.

With a powerful thrust, Harry had impassively knocked her to the ground; his eyes only meeting with the Hogwarts Headmaster's and both their wands hovering exactly on the same level. "Give me a reason why I shouldn't kill you…" Harry demanded him in a frighteningly composed tone.

"There are none to mention…" Dumbledore said. "On all accounts, I am very much guilty of not revealing you with the whole truth. You _should_ take my life… I deserve it, completely." With that, he let down his wand.

Everyone stayed still for a while; the only sounds that could be heard were the powerful thunder clashing over them and the somewhat distant howling of the winds. Excessive tears in Harry's eyes were blurring his vision and his wand was trembling in his grasp with the killing curse on the tip of his tongue.

"Harry…" Hermione's unsteady voice uttered.

"Don't tell me to…" Harry began to shout but stopped at once when Hermione shook her head and pointed towards Ginny.

It was confusing for a moment what Harry was seeing before him. For a split second, he felt as if his eyes were deceiving him because Ginny's fingers were slowly stirring before him. Her chest was now heaving; her mouth opened momentarily as a breath of fresh air flew in… oddly, as if a living soul had just gone inside her body.

"Ginny…" Harry's whisper was filled with astonishment. He couldn't believe what was happening… a flicker of joy lighted up and found its way through the darkness in Harry. A candid miracle was happening in front of them… a rebirth of many more things other than life itself… things like hope, love and the ability to care. An impossible dream was evolving… a breathing Ginny Weasley…

Within seconds, her eyes had gradually opened and she was attempting to breathe but with quite some difficulty. Both Harry and Hermione dashed towards her side, and Hermione lifted her back and was patting gently in order to help.

"Relax…" Hermione was saying, watching her gasp for air even harder. "Let the oxygen reach into your lungs."

Her breathing calmed down at last, and it gave her the prospect of noticing at Harry and Hermione for the first time.

"Ginny… are you alright?" Harry asked anxiously.

She turned to face him; first with a hint of a smile but then it changed into a most alarming frown as she frighteningly asked. "Who… Who're you?"

Harry didn't quite grasp what she had just asked. "What do you mean? It's me… Harry…"

Her frown changed into a deeper scowl. "Who?" Then she turned towards Hermione and demanded. "And who the hell are you? What're you doing here?"

Hermione looked towards Harry with a sense of relief and whispered so only he could hear. "Temporary amnesia…I think."

His heart instantly lightened at Hermione's words. Of course, it was obvious because Ginny's life and soul had just been restored and it would take some time to adjust to the new but familiar surroundings. Rejuvenated ecstasy was fluttering like tiny butterflies in Harry's body; the feeling of joy was indescribable and at the same time, purely exhilarating.

"Where's this place?" A chaotic Ginny was saying. "How did I get here? Have I been…" A seemingly dreadful idea hit her. "I ain't… I ain't kidnapped? Oh Lord… you people have kidnapped me! Where're my parents? I want to see them… NOW!"

Harry had to laugh out loud. "We haven't kidnapped you or anything… You're just… well, a little bit… confused right now… that's all. Don't worry about it…"

"No!" Ginny shouted at him. "I ain't confused! Why have you brought me here? My parents ain't rich so they can't give you money or jewels… Take me back to my home… TAKE ME BACK RIGHT NOW!"

"Calm down…" Hermione asserted. "You need to see Madam Pomphrey. She'll do you right."

"Who's Madam Pom...?" Ginny was now struggling to back away from them with tears spurting out from her eyes. "Please take me home. Don't hurt me…"

Harry looked at Hermione and reckoned. "It's like an Oblivion Charm has been done on her. She doesn't remember anything…"

Ginny had now stood up and made a rushed attempt to run way. But Harry had swiftly caught her arm before she could do so.

"LET GO!" she screamed hysterically, yanking and thrashing about with all her might. "I AIN'T DONE NOTHING TO YOU!"

"Harry, let go of her arm." Professor Dumbledore ordered him; his tone filled with sternness.

"But…" Harry wanted to reason.

The Headmaster looked at him in a most peculiar way. "Please do as I say, Harry."

He did.

Dumbledore then, turned to face Ginny and spoke to her. "Come here…" There was something far more than magical kindness in his voice that made her listen, and she was standing before the Professor in a fraction of a moment.

The Hogwart's Headmaster began to carefully observe her, and it took him a while to fully absorb the reason for the cause of Ginny's unexpected memory loss. He sighed in the saddest fashion; then looked in Harry and Hermione's direction while shaking his head profoundly.

"Its time… for you to understand everything…" Dumbledore voiced. "Harry… this is not Ginny Weasley… she is the _real_ Shauna Swirl…"

Hermione clasped her hand over her mouth in utter shock.

"NO!" Harry screamed aloud; he didn't want to believe it. "THAT'S NOT TRUE!" His heart wanted to tear itself again with anguish, but Professor Dumbledore's words never gave it a chance…

"I am afraid it is, Harry. It _had_ been Ginny only minutes before… but now the true Shauna Swirl has returned to her body." He confided and then spoke to a teary-eyed Hermione. "Miss Granger, would you do me a favour and bring Madam Pomphrey here. I think Miss Swirl will be needing her. Then you and Harry proceed directly to my office. The password is Slurping Syrups." There came a slight pause. "I will tend to Mr. Ronald Weasley and then he and I will be joining you two. It is time for the inconspicuous and veiled truth to be finally revealed to the world and… to you children…"

"I AIN'T GOING NOWHERE EXCEPT HOME!" Shauna was racketing about; her suspicious eyes darting from one person to another.

"Calm down, my dear. Everything will be as right as rain… you'll see…." That was only comforting thing the great Hogwart's Headmaster could say to her.

**-------------------------------------------------**

Half an hour later, Harry and Hermione were seated in Professor Dumbledore's circular office. A hysterical Shauna Swirl had been taken to the hospital wing and was accordingly being taken care of by Madam Pomphrey. The Headmaster shortly arrived with a dishevelled and slightly injured Ron.

"Please sit down, Mr. Weasley." When Ron did, Dumbledore spoke. "I would like you all to meet two people who will shed a tremendous amount of light on everything that has happened."

Stardust began to swivel around in the office with heavenly twinkling sounds. Shortly, two pearly white figures were standing before them; their eyes gleaming like crystallised gems.

"They are the Ellemists…" The Headmaster explained. "Proclaimers of Prophecies…"

**-------------------------------------------------**

(A/N: Well… what do you think of the story?

This chapter turned out to be longer than I expected, and that's why I'm posting the next chapter in a day or two because it _clears up_ everything (It's finished but I haven't done the editing). I know readers want 'the explanation' soon…

Yeah… REVIEWS PLZ! Would love to know what the readers think…)


	29. The Proclaimers of Prophecies

**----------------- CHAPTER 29: The Proclaimers of Prophecies ---------------**

Pearly white as they were, the Ellemists generously emitted the lustre of delicate woven light. They were old; perhaps aeons older than the great Dumbledore himself, with blanched white beards so long that nearly touched the floor beneath them. Age was inscribed on their faces; each wrinkle supposedly marking a strenuous happening they might have gone through. Wisps of pearly threads were laced together in quite a complex manner to form the copious amounts of their lengthy hair. They might have been twins, as their features were carved in a very similar manner through the richness of their expressions. Fully clad in sheer silk robes of many pale shades, each was holding with them an elongated but crooked staff made of the finest mahogany.

But it was the twinkling gleam in their gentle eyes that Harry found himself most astounded with; they seemed to posses the kind of wisdom or insight that weren't of any norm. Somehow, he knew that they were not wizards, or even human beings, but some form of much higher beings… divine entities with mental capacities far greater than one can ever imagine in this world.

One of the Ellemists, a slightly shorter one stepped forward and said. "I am Oraculus, the_ Creator _of Prophecies."

"And I am Circinus, the_ Compass _or_ Guide _for those declared in Prohecies." The other one spoke. "We have been foretelling the events of truth for as along as we can remember and it is true that our own age has been forgotten and lost in the midst of time."

"Believe us, that we acknowledge the suffering you are undergoing now and that is why we ought to be brief." uttered Oraculus who was now facing Harry. "But it is crucial to reveal… to explain each and every circumstance revolving around our proclaimed Triad Prophecy. Just as Dumbledore had said to you two years ago… understanding is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery. And that is the reason why you need to understand _everything_."

Hermione silently shifted in her seat; Ron looked confused but eager for the truth. Professor Dumbledore was leaned back in his chair, quite and calm as the gentle breeze, but not without a realm of sadness upon his face.

Oraculus began. "In the periods of yore, a time before even I can correctly remember, I moulded into existence the Triad Prophecy which intended the involvement of the _Channeler_, the _Amplifier_ and the _Depraver_, namely Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort. As Ginny had explained to you three before in the Chamber of Secrets, the contents of the Prophecy, just as we had informed her. That two blessed children will be able to vanquish the _Necromancer_ with the obliging service of the _Noble Star_. I do not need to go in much detail as all of you already know. Centuries later, Tom Marvolo Riddle was born and we knew that that the events in the Triad Prophecy would commence before long." Oraculus paused before speaking in a vaguely distressing tone. "Then the time of your birth came, shortly followed by Ginny's and that is when I did a terrible thing…"

"What?" Ron wanted to know.

"I modified the Triad Prophecy." explained Oraculus. "I thought I had needed to… because it was too obvious to figure out that you and Ginny were involved in it. Lord Voldemort might or might not have been able to deduce that, but even still I believed it was absolutely necessary for the sake of your lives. In a way I had done the right thing, because soon afterwards the Dark Lord had gotten hold of a magical compass that was able to pinpoint the other two constitutes. But I didn't realise… that I had altered the prophecy at a terrible price… the death of Ginny Weasley."

"But, how…?" Harry asked with uncertainty.

"I changed the Prophecy in such a way that I created sort of a fourth constitute." Oraculus answered.

"Shauna Swirl…" Hermione computed without effort.

The Creator of Prophecies nodded. "That's correct. Though, it had not been my intention to call upon her; she somehow got pulled in by a force that not even we could fully comprehend. Then we realised that there were designs for the Triad Prophecy, laid out by someone much more powerful than us… someone with the ultimate strength…"

Harry was curious. "Who?"

Circinus half-smiled at him and responded. "God."

"I don't understand…" It was all Harry could say.

"God, the Almighty… the All-Powerful…" Oraculus gave the elusive details. "He is able to see far beyond into such a future that we never could and never will. Because after all, we are still his creations just like the rest of this world and the worlds beyond us. He saw the faults in the Triad Prophecy that we never could have conceived and that is why He had to plan many things beforehand. God made sure that Shauna was born a witch, but had tied or rather had locked away her magical powers. For this reason, the Hogwart's magical quill didn't register her as a witch but an ordinary muggle.

And because I had reworked the Triad Prophecy, Ginny had to die the first time around. Her soul did not enter the afterlife; instead it was displaced in Shauna Swirl's body on God's orders. It was only when she entered Shauna's body, the magical powers were released. You see, Ginny's soul was like a key that was able to unlock Shauna's magic."

Ron had to ask. "But what was the point of doing all that?"

"You had said the answer yourself in the Chamber of Secrets." Oraculus pointed out.

Ron realised instantly. "Lord Voldemort wasn't supposed to find out that Ginny was the _Channeler _with that magical compass..."

"Precisely…" Circinus voiced. "As complicated as all of this appeared, it was really quite simple what had happened. Because of the modified Prophecy, it was Ginny who could call upon the light of the _ASTRALIS BONUM_ but only if she were present in Shauna's body. As a result, the magical compass would always go out-of-control whenever the _Imperium's_ identity was asked because it would try to point two individuals at once. Half towards Ginny… and half towards Shauna." The Ellemist turned in Harry's direction. "Ginny was supposed to stay alive to fulfil the Triad Prophecy, the same way you did. Harry, your mother sacrificed herself so you could live. She gave you such a powerful protection that even something as violent as the killing curse couldn't touch you."

"I don't get something…" Hermione said to Oraculus. "You _saved_ Ginny from Lord Voldemort when you altered the Prophecy. But you just told us a few minutes ago, that the terrible price for changing it would bring about Ginny's death. This… this doesn't make any sense…"

There was hint of teary glisten in the Oraculus's eyes as he made clear to them. "But my dears, Ginny _did _die because of that. If she had channelled the Noble Star's energy using her own body, then she wouldn't have been killed because _she_ was the original constitute of the Triad Prophecy and Shauna was not. However, poor Ginny could not have survived the star's power in Shauna's body. That led to her death…"

"But why is Shauna back instead of Ginny?" Harry demanded of the Ellemists.

It was Circinus who replied. "Shauna's soul had been swept into nothingness when Ginny had been present in her body. It is unfair to her… Shauna does not deserve death until her time is supposed to come."

"BUT WHAT ABOUT GINNY?" Harry shouted at the top of his lungs. "DID SHE DESERVE _HER_ DEATH?"

Neither Circinus nor Oraculus could respond to that. Silence was beginning to cloak the circular office as nobody said a word for a long while. Professor Dumbledore finally pierced the stillness when he said to the Ellemists. "Please, continue…"

Circinus cleared his throat and then spoke. "Ginny's life had been revitalised just hours after Lord Voldemort had killed over a year ago; she had reawakened inside Shauna's breathing body but had been thoroughly lost and confused. We approached her soon enough and in due time had explained everything concerning the Triad Prophecy. We described to her the final providence, the tasks she needed to do… including insights of many things an ordinary wizard or witch isn't supposed to know. But we also gave her a sharp warning; she must not reveal her real identity to_ anybody_. It was extremely crucial since it would destroy the very essence of the Triad Prophecy if she were to expose her true self. And if Ginny had done that, then she would have not only jeopardised Harry's life and her own, but would have caused the destruction of the world we see before us."

"It was very important to make Ginny understand." Oraculus continued. "And it took her some time to accept all of it, but she was strong and she eventually did. In fact, it was _her_ plan to 'accidentally' get lost and end up near a wizarding family's home so she could make the Ministry of Magic realise that she was a witch and not a muggle like before. It was exceptionally clever… that plan and I must say that she handled the situations exceedingly well. And indeed, Ginny had been an excellent actress; she had stripped her true identity and transformed into a new character… a supposedly _evil_ Shauna Swirl. On some level… she had caused her own death when she had masqueraded around as someone completely different from her real self."

"It must have been really hard on her…" Ron assumed; he appeared to be deeply probing into his mind for memories of his sister as Shauna Swirl.

"That certainly was, and there came upon many moments in time where Ginny's past would catch up with her…" admitted Oraculus in a grave fashion. "In spite of everything, she had been human… saturated with feelings of love for her family and close ones. She was living at Hogwarts… one of her dearest homes, and every so often it would tear her heart that she could not tell her brother, Harry or Hermione who she really was… In fact, many instants came where we became extremely afraid that she wouldn't be able to keep up with her responsibilities. But Ginny would always pull through her dark times and prove herself commendable. However, there was this one time… when she had completely refused to remain faithful to her destiny and well… we had to give her a little nudge in the right direction…"

Suddenly Harry knew what the Ellemist was talking about. "It was _you_ who had sent the storm that was alive… the night we had gone to Mulberry's and when Ginny had tried to run away…"

"I must confess it was not the most proper thing to do…" Circinus said. "But it had to be done… Poor Ginny had it enough; she was sick and tired of the way she was being treated by the three of you and she was going to abandon her providence. We couldn't have let her done that, and as a consequence we ordered the _Tempestas _on her, an antediluvian creature bearing the body of the most violent winds and thrashing storms. It was not our intention to hurt Ginny by unleashing the _Tempestas_ at her, but it was only to make her realise that she can not run away from who she was… not matter how hard, or how difficult situations might become.

But beyond any doubt… she had suffered immensely. She had loved her family and it crushed her every time she saw them, knowing they hadn't an inkling of who she really was. She lived with the fact that they were close enough when she needed them, but she kept to herself in times of difficulty and anguish. She felt trapped in Shauna's body because she desperately wanted to be Ginny. It is true… if anyone were to put up with only an ounce of her pain, then they would surely die in the blink of an eye."

Harry recollected his memories of when she had given him a surprise visit in his dormitory. He remembered so very well, Ginny's words…

_"Life is socruel! They were just taken away from me as if they didn't mean a thing to me! But you know what… I had loved them… and I still love all of them madly…. because they were the only ones who truly cared about me. And now… all of them are gone… GONE!" _

_"I always feel that they are around me all the time… all of them. But I can't talk to them or be close to them like it was before. And that hurts even bloody more!"_

Of course, the deceased people she had been talking about were her family, the Weasleys. To her, they were as good as dead because she couldn't talk to them and be with them like before. Harry also recalled her exposing some of the grief and pain…

_"Sometimes… I hate this place… Hogwarts. I hate it because it's so different… and yet so similar. I feel… as if I've been brought to a strange but familiar world, but I have no control over it. I had seen it in my dreams but it was very vague… and I have always known I wasn't a normal person. I always knew that a bizarre power existed in me… But never in my wildest dreams had I thought it would all come this…"_

Harry hated himself immensely that moment; he wanted to kill himself for not realising the truth when it had been so evident.

Oraculus looked in Ron's direction and remarked. "But your sister was a wonderful performer. She put on a wonderful show and no one, not even Dumbledore managed to figure out that she was in fact Ginny and not Shauna. She improvised brilliant stories when she needed to deceive someone; she craftily used her instincts to act imaginatively and she spun tales in an astonishingly spontaneous fashion. Slipping into a wicked disposition, she secured everyone's resentment in matter of days after arriving at Hogwarts." With a pause, he went on. "Surely, you must remember the hatred you had felt for her. Didn't she get you all winded up most the times?"

Ron nodded his head. "But why did she do that? Why was Ginny all nasty and mean to us?"

"Because she wanted to be close to the three of you… without arising any suspicion of who she really was." Oraculus put in plain words. "To Ginny, it was worth being cruel and nasty but closer to whom she deeply cared for… rather than being nice and distant. It was her way of showing how much she still cared…"

"Harry, you must have realised by now that it was we who had sent the green sphere to you…" disclosed Circinus. "It was the first and primal sign to indicate that you were involved in a prophecy. And as we had expected, you figured out the sphere's message with the help of your two best friends. Of course…"

"Hang on…" Harry interrupted the Ellemist when a thought entered his mind. "Shauna… I mean, Ginny told me on the night that _Tempestas_ attacked us that she had been raped. What did she mean by that? Who had raped her?"

Circinus looked at him in the eyes. "Ginny actually meant that she was raped of _her life_ when Lord Voldemort had murdered her. She wasn't speaking literally and that was just an excuse because you were endeavouring to… well… you were trying to get too intimate with her."

"Harry…" Ron's tone was suddenly daunting. "You tried to have sex with her? You never told me!"

Hermione saved Harry just in time from justifying this embarrassing deed when she questioned the Ellemists. "Why did Ginny attempt to kill Harry when she had performed the _Curse of Morsus_ on him?"

"Let me first tell you that it was not her intention to kill Harry." Oraculus was saying. "There is a rational clarification for it, though a bit complicated. If Harry can remember correctly the time when Lord Voldemort had possessed him at the Ministry of Magic last year, then he can recall the moments of searing pain the Dark Lord had given him. He had tried to kill Harry then, but had failed. But what Harry hadn't noticed that before leaving his body, Voldemort had easily managed to obstruct his heart and mind with a sort of a stopper. What was the point of doing that? Well, the Dark Lord knew that we would be projecting dreams and visions to Harry pertaining to the Triad Prophecy and he desired to stop that from happening."

Circinus resumed the explanation. "At the start, we hadn't realised that the Dark Lord had blocked Harry and so we kept on trying to send him dreams about the prophecy which always would result in our message _never_ getting across."

"Yes… I remember those puzzling dreams… they had a spreading bluish mist in them and I would always get lost or tangled. I would never know where to go... or what to do…" Harry recalled, watching Professor Dumbledore lean forward in his seat.

"It was understood much later the reason for your blockage and therefore, something drastic had to be done to fix it." mentioned Circinus. "That's when we instructed Ginny to help us because you _had_ to see the dream with your parents in it telling you about the _Imperium Ingemino Pravus_. And Ginny had no alternative but to perform a special spell on you called the _Unclogging Enchantment_. Nonetheless, it was also very essential to prevent anyone from discovering that _she_ was the one who had performed the spell and more important …_why_ she had done it. And that is the reason why an _Illusion Charm_ was worked over you as well; its dual purpose was to block the spell caster's identity and to create an illusion that the _Curse of Morsus_ had been done instead. The excruciating pain that you had suffered that night would have been felt anyways, because the _Unclogging Enchantment_ is a branch of some unidentified sorcery that we have no control of. So you see, what you had thought was trying to kill you was actually opening your mind and bringing you closer to the truth."

"The _Illusion Charm_ even had me fooled." Dumbledore suddenly uttered. "I had gotten deeply worried when I thought the _Curse of Morsus_ had been used on Harry and I knew that locating the spell caster was enormously crucial. By means of Legilimency, I figured out that Shauna had done it."

"Don't you mean Ginny, Professor?" Hermione put forward.

The Hogwart's Headmaster gazed at her. "I did not know that Shauna was Ginny back then. And I couldn't even have found out about it through Legilimency because this brand of magic only works when one is aware of things he is trying to find out. What I mean is… that the possibility of Shauna being Ginny did not even cross my mind of and that is why I couldn't decipher this fact. However, I _knew_ the spell caster of the _Curse of Morsus_ was someone at Hogwarts and consequently, Legilimency pointed out Shauna to me, not Ginny."

Dumbledore stopped for a second and then carried on. "But before I could convict her, I had to ask the Sorting Hat something. You see, I could not understand why someone in Gryffindor as Shauna could have the assertiveness to perform such a spiteful act. So I questioned the hat in my office why it had placed Shauna in the Gryffindor House where she least belonged."

"What did it say?" Ron wanted to know.

"The Sorting Hat had enlightened me with, '_Once a Gryffindor, always a Gryffindor…_'" The Professor gravely stated with a pause. "Upon hearing this answer, I instantly realised Shauna's true identity was none other than that of the departed Ginny Weasley's. She was summoned into my office without any further delay. I told her by giving her discreet hints at first and then saying it outright that I knew who she really was. She had grown extremely frightened and would not utter a single word to me when I questioned her why she had come back from the dead in someone else's body. You see, Ginny was bound by the promise she had given to the Ellemists. Thus, they were forced to be called and had no choice but explain to me what was going on. After that, I asked Professor McGonagall to bring you into my office, Harry. I am sure you remember me telling you that I had sources telling me information of the Triad Prophecy. The sources were, in fact Oraculus and Circinus."

"And it was also we who had sent you the revelation through Healer Roderick Donahue…" Circinus professed to Harry. "…if you can recall the day of the fight between Ron Weasley here and the muggle boy from London."

"And what about that muggle… Jack Bennett?" Harry demanded the Ellemist. "How come Ginny knew him so well?"

Circinus meticulously gazed at him before answering. "Ginny got to know Jack because she had spent some time with him over the summer before she came to Hogwarts. Bear in mind that she was supposed to be Shauna the whole time, so she was mostly acting or improvising dialogues to conserve with Jack. Of course, Ginny hadn't loved Jack but since Shauna did and didn't want to break the poor boy's heart, she kept telling him that she did."

Memories of that day at the Three Broomsticks flooded Harry's mind…

_"But I can assure you one thing, Jack. That I still love you with every ounce of passion inside of me!"_

_"I promise that everything will turn alright for us. You'll see…"_

The decent and noble Ginny… she had tried to comfort him by persistently saying that she… as in Shauna… still had loved him.

"I can't believe it!" Ron seemed aghast a thought. "Do you realise that Ginny was a Parselmouth… she _opened_ the Chamber of Secrets up at Moaning Myrtle's bathroom when Harry couldn't!"

But Oraculus was shaking his head. "No, she wasn't one and never had been, Mr. Weasley."

"But… how?" Hermione seemed uttered shocked. "How did she manage to open the chamber? Perhaps Shauna had been a Parselmouth and since Ginny was in her body…?"

"No… Shauna was not bestowed with the ability to speak Parseltongue either." stated Oraculus as a matter-of-factly. "But think for a moment… hadn't Ginny opened the Chamber of Secrets once before in her second year? Even though it had been the external influence of Tom Riddle that was controlling her, she was able to retain some of the phrases in Parseltongue he had used to open Salazar's Slytherin's Chamber. That certainly was an ingenious tactic Ginny used in the time of need, I must admit."

There was a minute of silence and somehow everyone knew there was nothing more to explain. Circinus looked at the trio of children; melancholy dominating his tone. "Once more, I will apologise for any pain we might have caused you, but _that_… was the pure truth… nothing more… and nothing less."

The room grew solemnly quite; it seemed as if Harry, Hermione and Ron were trying to finally absorb and accept that last sediments of truth about Shauna and Ginny. It was a shattering reality… and it hurt them a great deal because they weren't able to realise that Ginny had been alive and next to them all this time and it had been quite obvious. The feelings of loss for Ginny were emerging once again in their hearts; guilt was burying them deeper into the void within their minds… and they found themselves being forced astray, getting lost in the nothingness inside of them.

A crushing thought kept echoing in their ears... Ginny Weasley was never going to return…

"There's one more thing I want to know, Professor Dumbledore…" Harry questioned with a somewhat shaky voice. "Why did you warn me against Shauna… I mean… Ginny before I left your office? My parents had also done the same thing, but why?"

There was a glinting tear in the Headmaster's eyes. "I ask you to forgive me again, Harry. I do not wish to answer this question because you will hate me if I do. But it does not look like I have much of a choice. Your parents and I warned you against her, because we very well knew that you had loved Ginny Weasley and if you had spent time with Shauna, then you would have figured out the truth about her. The truth that she was not Shauna but Ginny. And the world couldn't have tolerated that because then you would not have let her channel the _ASTRALIS BONUM_'s power and you would have not let her die…"

"But I did…" Tears were spilling down Harry's cheeks. "I let Ginny die…"

Dumbledore voiced with an uncanny belief; his miserable eyes still moist. "Ginny had to do what she did, Harry… even when she loved you with the same conviction… and the same passion that you loved her. She was afraid to get close to you and make everything harder on you and herself because she knew she was going to die at the end of this. Ginny wanted to hate you, but she realised soon enough that such a selfless love was too difficult to overcome. And she did not fail to tell you from her own lips that she truly loved you just moments before she died. But she had to, Harry… for the sake of this self-centred world… Ginny had to give up her life. Do you remember me telling you before that the knowledge of even a little bit of truth could jeopardise the commencing of events in this Triad Prophecy. And this is the reason why I could not have let you known about Ginny then… Harry, how can I explain it you… the selfish needs of the universe we so happily continue to dwell in? But the explanation is beyond our capacity of understanding… I'm truly sorry. Please, I beg on my knees, Harry… forgive me…"

Harry tightly closed his eyes, as further hot tears continued to trickle down. He couldn't forgive anyone… not Dumbledore, not Hermione… not the Ellemists; maybe not even his parents and he certainly could not forgive himself… It was unjust to Ginny; her damned fate that mercilessly deprived her of her life and happiness.

And she had loved him, too. Harry never believed that he could fall in love with someone other than Ginny Weasley. And he was right, because he hadn't fallen in love with Shauna this whole time… he had fallen in love with Ginny, all over again…

"We ought to leave…" Oraculus uttered raising his staff a few inches in air. "We have compensated our debt of explanation to Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger." He turned to them. "Our blessings will be upon the three of you for the times to come and we wish you the finest providence in life."

Heavenly twinkling sounds jingled everywhere, followed by the appearance of stardust as both the Ellemists with their long staff stepped towards the glittering spray. "Dumbledore… show them." Circinus cited. "Show them the parchment book." With that, they vanished into oblivion, leaving behind them neither a trace nor any proof of their shadowy existence.

Professor Dumbledore stood up from his chair and walked up to a shelf where a peacock-feathery quill and a large parchment book were placed, swathed by layers of dust. He picked up the book, gently blew the dirt off of it and then handed it to Harry. "Look at the latest entry made by the magical quill…"

Harry wiped away his tears with the edge of his sleeves, then flipped opened the parchment book and caught sight of the most recent entry.

It read… _Shauna Swirl_…

**-------------------------------------------------**

_"The boy will be heartbroken… you know that." Oraculus was saying. "Do you believe we have done the right thing?"_

_"We had to maintain the Equilibrium…" There came a pause as Circinus closed his eyes gravely, then spoke. "It's not going to be fair… but it _is_ the right thing…"_

**-------------------------------------------------**

(A/N: Please… PLEASE tell me what you thought of this chapter. I'm SO ANXIOUS for feedback that I'm shaking with anticipation, because I believe it's the heart of the story. Hope I've explained everything…

Readers who like this fic will be quite happy to know that there is still one more chapter left... and an epilogue to the fanfic. By the way, after a number of 140 reviews, my story got HEAVILY INSULTED for the first time. Well, guess what... I take all types of criticism and thank you... **d-scribe **for showing how I can improve for the better!

Till then…

the twist.)


	30. The Deepest Blue

----------------------- CHAPTER 30: The Deepest Blue ---------------------

Harry was the last person to enter the Burrow. When he closed the entrance door, he tried his best to ignore any feeling other than relief, but a sense of defeat was still persisting. So Harry just stood there - still as a burdened statue, with his heart desolately longing for the life he had before. Just ahead of him, Hermione and the Weasley children were randomly slumping onto the faded living room sofas while Mr. and Mrs. Weasley slowly headed towards their upstairs bedroom to cool off from the scorching heat of the outside sun.

It had been extremely hot earlier that day when everyone had gone to visit Ginny's grave. The air couldn't help being dry and leathery, and the rolling hills of Ottery St. Catchpole which were settled just behind the Devon burial grounds didn't offer any of their usual cool and fresh summer breezes. Harry was positive that he even had sensed a stir of heat waves in the area - quite unusual for a place like Ottery St. Catchpole.

Despite the heat of the day, the Weasleys had decided to pay respects to the youngest member of their family at her grave. Because of Professor Dumbledore, they were well acquainted with the truth of what had happened at Hogwarts towards the end of the year. In fact, the whole of the wizarding community knew about it; the Hogwarts Headmaster had insisted that Ginny's name be imprinted in history as a hero and saviour of the worlds. Though she was forever lost to all, Ginny did not fail to leave behind her a beacon of hope; one that accumulated of things like goodness, love and faith and with a chance for a new beginning for humankind.

Her second death had been much hard to digest, not only for the Weasleys but for Harry and Hermione as well. And there was not a day in their lives when each of them did not think about Ginny and her essence, or did not wander into their fabricated worlds in where she had never died. They continually fed their minds and hearts with impossible dreams of Ginny happily growing into a woman, finding her true love, getting married and having children in copious amounts. But none of this, nor the unceasing power of prayer to God could bring her back now, and everybody knew it.

Thus the days were spent with ample pain and much mourning for the loss of their loved one. Harry shared this pain with the Weasley clan for two whole months and he was good to offer Mrs. Weasley a helping hand whenever it was needed around the house. He felt that he should make himself useful - considering how much of an affliction he was on the family and staying with them for all this time was almost too much of a favour. Hermione visited the Burrow every other day or two, offering everyone a great deal of comfort and bountiful empathy.

As Harry glanced in the direction of his best friend seated on an armchair, his heart instantly transformed into lead and collapsed from its place. Poor old Ron had wistful tears glistening in his eyes; his expression fixed with suffering and grief. Percy was perched between Bill and Charlie; all of them had their arms crossed and wearing somewhat dismal facades. Hermione was on the settee next to them, her lips pressed together in some mysterious or profound thought. Fred had his head in his hands, while George was leaned back in his chair with an expressionless face, and was possibly lost in one of those fabricated worlds.

A clandestine tear was stubbornly clinging onto Harry's eyelids and he was quick to wipe it away. A sketch of regret splashed the contours of his heart; his mind was surrendering with the usual pain of loss for Ginny, and not to mention he was feeling quite tired from their little trip to the graveyard. Without thinking, he drifted past the living room, crossed the flight of stairs towards the first landing and then suddenly stopped.

There, in front of him was Ginny's old bedroom, unused, shut off by Mrs. Weasley. He half expected the door to slightly open and then catching two brown eyes watching him discreetly. As he walked past it, Harry glanced away but he was still well aware of the closed room, dry and dusty, smelling of stale polish and trapped air; arid cells of stillness where nothing moved except maybe the spiders who scuttled from the ivy over the window ledges on airing days and presumably the family ghoul. He always hurried past this bedroom, fearful of nothingness which lay within and seeped under its shut door, seeking what it could engulf.

Harry thought about it now, as he reached the second landing and strolled in the direction of Ron's room where he slept during the nights. For a couple days, he had been feeling a strange irk crawling up and down his spine, just as though a mystic vibe from inside Ginny's bedroom was penetrating through the closed door and calling out to him.

And he was drawn. He was drawn to something from within that room. He just couldn't explain what it was.

Upon reaching his best friend's room, Harry stepped inside and silently shut the door behind him. Leaning against the orange wall covered with a dozen or so of Chudley Canon posters, he delved deep into thought. He had felt that disturbing aura again from Ginny's room when he had passed it just now and like always, he had sensed it pulling his mind deeper and deeper into emptiness or void that he couldn't comprehend as yet.

Something needed to be done about it. Harry could check, but in the night - when everyone would be fast asleep.

------------------------------------------------

Halfway through nightfall, Harry quietly stirred in his bed as he mindfully listened into the darkness for a sound that would otherwise indicate that the Weasleys were not in deep sleep by now. His better judgement gathered that he was safe at the moment to confront the force that was trying to draw him into Ginny's locked bedroom. He glimpsed towards Ron's bed and found him soundly asleep; his best friend's loud snores could be considered much evident to anyone as it was to him.

As careful and quiet as he could manage, Harry pulled down his covers and then climbed out of his bed. Blackness has enveloped Ron's room and it was very difficult for Harry to see anything surrounding him, which only proved that sneaking out of there would utterly be some sort of an obstacle. He grabbed his glasses from the bedside table, put them on and then tried to find his wand which he, with some difficulty, located it under masses of Ron's strewn clothes. Praying that luck would be by his side, Harry took a chance at scurrying across the darkened room and through the hallway, then down the stairs - and that he somehow managed to do without knocking anything down or tripping over and waking up the whole lot at the Burrow.

It took Harry less than a minute to reach Ginny's bedroom. Expecting it to be locked, he put his hand on the door handle and slowly twisted it. He was proved right, and therefore he pointed his wand at the knob and slowly whispered. "_Patefacio._"

The spell had been a clever one which Professor Flitwick had taught him in Charms some months ago. At once, the tip of his wand was expelling blue sparks at the handle and it had half melted in a matter of seconds. With his hands, Harry cautiously pushed at the door and it gave away quite easily. Next, he made sure that nobody was around and with a deep breath, he gradually stepped inside the dreary and blackened room.

Harry didn't know what made him call out into the darkness. "Ginny?"

Everything stopped; each dust particle froze in mid-air and the sounds of insects crawling about died away, even his pounding heart had petrified from apprehension… just so he can listen to the voice of Ginny answering him back.

There was no response. No sound at all.

Of course, Harry hadn't expected it. Nevertheless, the disappointed feeling swelling inside of him was remarkably overwhelming, almost too intense to deal with. He felt hot tears stinging his eyes as he realised for the thousandth time that he was never going to see Ginny alive again. A few moments later, Harry stepped further into the unlit room and upon finding a flap on the wall, he switched on the light which flickered only for a few seconds and then slowly faded away as darkness crept up again.

He raised his wand in front of him and voiced. "_Lumos_." As some light was shed around the place, he began to observe the room carefully. Its wooden walls were shabby and chipped, with several nails loosening from their places. Cheap curtains with faded flower prints were briskly whipping against the open window. A small bed was crouched on one side of the room while the other held a damaged dressing table with a solitary mirror propped in its middle. Scruffy old furniture was piled up in the farthest corner, namely an armchair with springs coming out, two badly scratched closets and a table with one leg missing. None of it was capped without swathes of dust or plentiful glittery cobwebs. A smell of definite decay hung profusely in the air.

The silence within Ginny's room was disturbing, and Harry couldn't figure out why. He stepped over a pile of tattered bed sheets, with his illuminated wand still elevated before him and started to gaze at the contents of the room, once more. Where was that aura? Why wasn't it calling out to him now? He didn't see anything in there that would even remotely try to communicate with him. What energy was he being drawn towards? Could it be Ginny Weasley?

"Where are you?" Harry's voice pierced through the emptiness. "Come on, Ginny… show yourself…"

Nothing but sheer silence would answer him back. As he was turning around, Harry thought he saw a flash of a light spark somewhere in the room. He quickly swerved his wand in that direction, his heart skipping an instant beat. A lean, bespectacled boy with ruffled black hair and an oddly shaped scar engraved on his forehead was standing nearby. This mysterious boy was also equipped with a lit wand.

It took Harry a few good moments to realise that it was only his reflection in the dressing table mirror staring back at him and not someone out of the blue. In due time, he had calmed down and minutes later was wandering in the direction of the dressing table, aloof. Watching his image in the mirror intently, Harry noticed that his eyes were bloodshot red. He supposed that he had been unnoticeably crying all this time, still entangled in secret mournings. And beyond everything else, Harry appeared awful in the reflection. He had lost a lot of weight in the past couple of weeks and his face seemed stretched and flaxen with dejection.

Then he caught something strange inside the mirror. A book appeared to be lying on top of the dressing table in the reflection, but there was no such book present on the table in actuality. Harry blinked his eyes, then looked again at the mirror's image and to his utter astonishment, the book was still resting peacefully on the dressing table. But how was that possible?

It didn't seem to be any trick of the light. Harry checked once more just to make sure that he wasn't imagining things, but no luck availed him that unfortunate moment. Perhaps, the book inside the reflection was there for a reason… for him. Without even knowing what he was doing, Harry reached out towards the mirror; his right hand slowly nearing the image. The tip of his fingers touched the cool surface of the glass and in mere seconds, his hand had shot through right inside the reflection.

Harry did a double take and his mind couldn't register what he was seeing before him. A quarter of his arm was residing right inside the mirror. He had somehow broken all the rules of empirical, testable and magical protocols. A window to possibly a totally different world had been perforated, a realm in where only unimaginable and miraculous things happened. His mind started filling up with all these crazy ideas and explanations for this phenomenon and he had half forgotten about the book that lay on the other side.

It was after a while when Harry regained his sense of reality. Hurried and confused, he reached further inside the reflection, grabbed the book in it and pulled his hand out in a few swift movements. He immediately looked back at the mirror; it now appeared normal as any other looking glass and the reflection displayed exactly identical to its actuality.

He glanced down at the book in his hands and found it to be leather-bounded and battered in condition. Opening its cover, a yellowed page appeared in front of him and he began to read.

Recito solum quondam

The words were suspiciously written in Latin but Harry didn't have a clue what they meant. He flipped the page over and discovered another string of words in the next one, but this time they were much more comprehensible.

****

The Deepest Blue…

Something tingled within Harry. Upon the reading those trio of words generated quite an enlightened sensation and Harry felt as if he could shoot up towards the heavens. In moments, he had turned over this page as well and was skimming through texts of a discursive handwriting;

I don't know what the hell I'm supposed to do with this. Do they expect me pour my feelings out in it? Well, it no shocking news… that I can't!

What were they thinking? I just died a few hours ago… and then recklessly brought to life as some stupid muggle girl. This is not my house! I don't know these people!

And did they really believe that… writing in this _dumb thing_ _… could bring me any solace?_

At once, Harry realised that this was no book, it was a diary and written by Ginny. He couldn't believe what was happening. Heightened emotions soared inside his body and spread like wildfire devouring the open forests. Tears of joy were forming in his eyes, and some of formidable ecstasy as they ran down his face. Did the Ellemists do this? Were they the one who put this diary in Ginny's mirror?

But that moment, Harry couldn't care less about it as seated himself in the nearby armchair and carefully read on, making sure he absorbed every word of it.

Can you guess what I'm doing right now? I'm crying… yeah, and weeping for my pitiable former life! Damn the Ellemists… they killed me! They tore me away from the people I loved the most!

Alright, I admit… He-who-must-not-be-named actually killed me! And it's all confusing why I had died in the first place because Oraculus told me that I was meant to do something of great importance in the future.

Damn them! God damn their fate!

I'm never going to write in this diary! That's my final word!

The first entry finished there. As Harry leafed through the pages, he learned that despite Ginny's vow never to write again, she had filled up the whole diary. Eager to find out everything that happened to Ginny after her first death, Harry carried on reading.

__

2nd August 1996

I wouldn't have broken my promise if it weren't for the fact that I feel like dying all over again. It's totally crazy what's happening to me. I'm not Ginny Weasley anymore… Oh God!

I'm not me…

Dear God… please let me die…

--------------------

4th August 1996

I think I'm going mad and I've probably lost my mind, too. Every night I go to sleep, hoping that all of this would turn out to be a huge and terrible nightmare, and that I would wake up in my bed at the Burrow next morning. It's been four days and the nightmare hasn't ended….

I've made the muggle parents to believe their 'daughter' has come down with a massive flu, that being an excuse for my strange and narcotic behaviour. Apparently, I'm some chick called Shauna Swirl. She's weird… I mean… she looks weird… with all that long black hair and green eyes.

I'd always wanted green eyes before, but now, I would give anything to turn back into old and plain Ginny…

And you can't simply imagine how much I missing my family right now…

--------------------

5th August 1996

Whoa! I've written quite a lot in the diary when I swore to myself that I wouldn't. But I have to get all these emotions out, and since the Ellemists warned me that I could never tell the truth to a living soul, the diary concept doesn't seem that all that bad anymore.

It's called a locker diary, meaning that no one read it except for the person who's originally written in it. However, if the owner of the diary were to die, only then it would become accessible to others. Circinus gave it to me… he's said that I'd find some comfort in it. I'll have to see to that… won't I?

And what's the deal with the phrase written at the beginning - "The Deepest Blue"? Obviously, it's the 'title' of the diary. So does that mean my life_ is being compared to the deepest blue? I can't be too sure… _

--------------------

7th August 1996

I dreamed something really weird last night. I was at the Burrow, standing alone in the back gardens and surrounded by darkness, with the wind blowing in my face. As I looked up at the pitch-black skies, I saw three stars floating adrift and forming into a placid triangle. And then right before my eyes, two of the stars instantly caught fire… and died.

Don't I already know this from somewhere? Oh yes… the Triad Prophecy.

How incredibly stupid of me! I almost forgot that Harry and I get to kill Lord Voldemort… and I also get to die in the end. Yippee!

Damn the Ellemists!

--------------------

8th August 1996

I'm finally beginning to understand and accept my destiny… and who I am. It seems to me that sometimes, people are born in this world so they can die. Not just any death, but a hero's death.

I guess I'm one of those people.

And it doesn't matter that I get to live as Shauna Swirl for a couple of more months. I'm just here to take care of some unfinished business. The real Ginny died the very day when Lord Voldemort took her life.

You know what this means… I'll have to let go of everything that was once so dear to me. My parents, all my brothers and all my hopes and dreams. Can I really let all these years of my life fade away?

Please God… help me…

--------------------

11th August 1996

It would have been my birthday today if had been Ginny Weasley. Fifteen years old… now that's saying something.

And a bizarre birthday present did I receive! Well, Shauna has a boyfriend… this fellow named Jack something. I'm sorry, but I don't like him… not my type at all. He's all egotistical and thinks that he owns the whole wide world and including me.

So, I pushed him away really harshly when he tried to kiss me in the evening. Like I said… I don't like him and besides, I'm not Shauna. In fact, I was in the right mind to slap him directly in the face when Circinus's voiced crept into my head and warned me of the consequences if I did that.

I had to stop getting physical on poor Jack. And yes, I'm very much aware of the consequences.

--------------------

20th August 1996

Would really appreciate it my destiny was speeded up a little. It's driving me mad that I get to do nothing but sit in this dreary house all the time and act like a muggle. Circinus said that I should be patient about it and the time for me to 'implement' the Triad Prophecy would arrive soon enough.

I can't wait to get to Hogwarts! My second home…

--------------------

5th September 1996

If I had a wand in my hands, I would probably kill myself right now… Do you know where I am sitting right this second?

I'm on my bed, at the Burrow… and I can't believe it. Never quite realised that tears of joy could be so hard to fight because I don't want to spend these few moments of happiness crying my eyes out.

I did it three days ago… I went up to the old Fawcett Mansion and proved myself a witch. The Ministry was astonished, of course and surprisingly, who should my case be handed to? My father!

I loved him more than ever when he invited me to stay at the Burrow for a few days so I or rather 'Shauna' can get a feel of what it's like to be in a wizarding family. Could have kissed him silly for that. And I believe that a part of the old Ginny was brought back to life when I got to see my heavenly home once again and my loving family… with the exception of Ron who had already started Hogwarts by then.

They were blissful hours, but not without moments of hardship and suffering. To my family, Ginny was dead and therefore I could not be myself. I had to become Shauna Swirl and I swear it had been the toughest moments of my life. I couldn't just go up to my mother, embrace her and tell her how much I loved her or anyone else for that matter. I didn't dare let Fred and George know how much I cherished their wild jokes and pranks or how I always wanted them to initiate me into the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. I wasn't allowed to do anything, because to all of them I was Shauna… and nothing more.

God, why did you create love? Why did you make it so beautiful and painful at the same time? Right now, I'm so much overwhelmed with its power… that I really do want to kill myself…

--------------------

8th September 1996

The Sorting hat knows who I really am. It told me during my sorting into the Hogwarts houses that it had read my mind three years ago and had sorted me into Gryffindor then.

Next, it said that I had to make a choice, whether to go back to Gryffindor or try out one of the other houses. I remember it mentioning that Slytherin was good pick, but I had been quick to decline it without thought and immediately chose Gryffindor.

"I was confident that you would favour this particular house and that's why I asked you to make that decision," The hat later told me. "Because nobody can change who they really are…"

Why Dumbledore keeps that thing, I've never really understood the reason.

Still smelling of chicken curry. Poor Neville spilt it all over on me during the dinner. I think he was scared of the way I looked, and got really nervous when I sat next to him.

And I saw Ron as well, and Harry, plus Hermione. The moment I set my eyes on those three, I wanted to go up to them and scream in their faces. "Guess what you lot, I'm Ginny! I'm not dead anymore! See… I'm back… I'm back from the dead…"

Was so distressed that time that I would have cried in front of the whole school, if it hadn't been for my conviction to follow my destiny.

And also got into a tight fix a few minutes ago… it wasn't my fault. Professor McGonagall set me up with Hermione as my tutor of sorts. I'm going to have to especially careful around her; she's got hell lot of smarts.

--------------------

9th September 1996

I'm crying again.

The Ellemists were wrong about me. I'm not the one who has the power to destroy Voldemort, because I'm weak… and so broken…

Why did Ron and Harry accompany Hermione to tutor me? And I really don't think that I can act all nice and cheerful in front of them because then they'd begin to suspect the truth. Stupid idiots… they've just made everything harder for themselves and they've made it impossible for me do anything right…

I still love them so damn much…

How can the Ellemists expect me to carry on with the prophecy when those three are so close? Why did I have to feel like Ginny again for a few measly moments, much alive and contented? Why can't I just die now and become free from all this pain?

--------------------

17th October 1996

Damn Harry!

It's because of him I'm in detention, working my butt off in the kitchens. He gets me so angry that I want to kill him instead of Lord Voldemort. That stupid jerk! Who does he think he is? Merlin?

He bruised me all over and sliced my forehead. And I certainly didn't enjoy being told off by Professor Dumbledore when it wasn't even my mistake in the first place. He's gonna pay for this… I assure you!

--------------------

18th October 1996

That Malfoy is sure one hell of a git. I really didn't think that he could sink any lower than this. Thank God I was there when he was attacking poor Jenna.

Perhaps, I'm more useful to this world than I ever imagined.

--------------------

24th October 1996

I've done something terrible… I kissed Harry! The Ellemists are going to slaughter me for this and maybe… I should let them!

Oh God… Harry loves me… I still can't get my mind to accept it…

For all my life I'd waited for him to say that and now he tells me when 'Ginny' is dead! Doesn't he get it that he realised a bit too late? And did the Ellemists absolutely have to throw this complication at me? Everything was going so smoothly on track and Harry had to come & ruin it all! Thanks a bunch… I'm now officially emotionally_ involved in the Triad Prophecy! _

I'm probably crying for what it seems like the thousandth time now and never have felt this torn before. In one hand I have my responsibilities to fulfil whatever's in the Triad Prophecy, in the other hand I have a life which I truly want to live.

I feel so lost… and confused… because I think I have fallen in love with Harry all over again. But it's impossible for us to be together since he thinks that I'm dead and frankly, I wasn't resurrected so I could carry on my life as Ginny. I was brought back to do much a greater good.

Poor Harry… he believes it so blindly that he's killed me. It's amazing how much guilt he has thrust upon himself when it wasn't his fault at all. Lord Voldemort took my life… didn't he? I tried my best to convince him of that but he seems quite fixed in his anguish and remorse.

And I've managed to do something really stupid… something that can prove disastrous in the future! Guess, I had felt so downhearted then… that I didn't quite realise that I was discreetly spilling beans to Harry about me being Ginny. I'm thanking my heavens right now that he didn't grasp what I had been blurting out. It would have been the end of the universe, as we know it…

I just hope that Harry gets over my death in due time. He appears to have taken it harder than anybody else has… and well, I can't deny that I'm not deeply touched by it…

Oh, how I wish I could tell Harry that I'm alive…

--------------------

25th October 1996

I have never seen Circinus so angry. I know very well that last night was entirely my fault and I'm sorry. It won't happen again.

Now I have to do my best to be all bitchy again to Harry so he doesn't get too close to me.

--------------------

26th October 1996

Something horrible has happened! I might as well shout in Harry's face and tell him who I really am. I really should've come up with a better excuse than "Oh. Harry, you remind me so much of a guy I had very much fancied when I was Ginny…" Can it get any more obvious than this? What the hell was I thinking then?

The Ellemists had asked me to do a simple task… to collect some hair off Harry's bed. It appears that Voldemort had blocked his mind or something when he had possessed him at the Ministry of Magic. And I have to concoct a potion that will clear away the barricade within Harry using some of his hair.

And he caught me in his dormitory, when I was looking at picture of him and Ron at the Burrow… which I_ had taken. It was no shock to me when Harry angrily blew off his head, but then he wouldn't let me get out the room. Then I came up with the dumb excuse that he reminded me of a former crush … who actually happened to be none other than Harry himself. Obviously, wouldn't Harry remind me of… Harry? And also in my revelations to him I had killed this 'former crush'… _

Hey… to me Harry is as good as dead because I can never be with him.

Then, I drove the tears out… revealing my inner feelings and pain, of how I missed my family… and my 'former crush' as well. I think I might have also mentioned discreetly that I didn't want to be part of a prophecy any longer. That was extremely dumb of me… what if Harry had suspected?

I'm really going to have tread my steps carefully from now on.

--------------------

31st October 1996

The Ellemists punished me because I was going to abandon my destiny. And I can say now with much assurance that I completely deserved it. I should not_ have gone to that Halloween party dressed as Ginny and that's how all the problems began. _

And what have I accomplished because of my stupidity and lack of faith in myself? Shall we make a list?

lifeemotionallyInot 

1_. Ron is so pissed off at me that he'd felt it was absolutely necessary to slap me in the face._

2_. I had almost managed to kill Harry and myself when the Tempestas had attacked us._

3_. Possibly, I have made Harry suspicious of who I really am._

4_. And I have fallen even deeper in love with Harry… _

One more thing… I've completely broken off the everlasting friendship between Ron and Harry… permanently.

--------------------

13th November 1996

Ok, I've done my part to mend their friendship. It's up to those two to try and actually do it.

Oraculus gave me a thumbs up to start on the Unclogging Enchantment_ for Harry. It's damn complicated, not to mention I had to _steal_ from Snape's potions closet for most of the ingredients. Just hope it works on Harry…. _

--------------------

22nd December 1996

I don't want to leave Hogwarts for Christmas vacations. But it doesn't seem I have much of a choice. The Ellemists told me that people might suspect that I've performed the enchantment on Harry and so it was safer for me to be away from him.

I fear for Harry. He shouldn't have to bear all that excruciating pain…

--------------------

5th February 1997

Oh God… Dumbledore has found out about me! He knows I'm not Shauna but Ginny Weasley, back from the dead. I had felt so scared because he was hounding me to tell him the whole truth and I knew I couldn't.

If it weren't for the Ellemists… I would be in deep trouble at the moment. They explained to the headmaster everything that is involved in the Triad Prophecy and all, so everything's cool now…

--------------------

20th March 1997

That duffer showed up at Hogwarts, Shauna's boyfriend. He kept insisting that he really loves and badly missed me all this time I've been away at Hogwarts. Plus, he tried to kiss me again, and well, I dragged him to the Three Broomsticks to avoid a commotion.

I told Jack that I still very much love him… I'm pretty sure that the real Shauna would say that. Did my best get into Shauna's skin and then converse with him. But I'm afraid that a bit of Ginny also managed to say a few words.

Alright, I confess…. Jack's not as bad as I would like to think. He's actually really sweet… and very much in love with Shauna. I hope things turn out well for Jack… and that he gets to be with the person he loves the most.

Ron showed up at the tavern after a while and then picked a totally unnecessary fight with Jack. Stupid git of a brother… he got hurt quite badly and Harry & I had to take him to a nearby clinic. Thank God, he's fine now.

--------------------

14th April 1997

We were alone in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom when I told Harry that I loved him… and I don't care if he doesn't know it was actually Ginny speaking to him and not Shauna.

Just had to tell him…

And guess what, I believe he's starting to fancy Shauna now… or so he thinks it's her. This day had to come, didn't it… the day where Harry would finally learn to move on with his life and find someone else to be happy with…

And I should also be doing my part and learn to accept it. Along with the fact that I can never be with the one person I love truly with all my heart.

Oh God…

Stop it, Ginny! Stop crying! Just try to realise the truth… that you can never be with him… and that you can marry him or have his children… because you were always meant to die…

Why, God? Why do I have to die…?

I can feel my life closing in on me… the time for the ultimate fight between evil and good is about to begin. I must be strong for it… I must collect myself together and prepare to battle for the survival of the universe.

And I must be ready to sacrifice myself… so I can leave behind a world where there is never danger and no sufferings at all. A world where nothing but sweet happiness dwells, and where people like my parents, my brothers… and Harry… can truly cherish their lives to the fullest.

I believe I've changed my mind now… if that is what my sacrifice can bring, then I would much gladly surrender my life… over and over again.

And it's alright with me that I don't find my shred of bliss in this world. As long as the people I love are happy, then I'm happy. Especially Harry… I don't ever want him to suffer because of me. I want him move forward… and take pleasure from whatever his life has to offer him. I want him to have an extraordinary future, in where he can fulfil all his dreams and aspirations. I want him to marry someone wonderful, someone who can love him back… a thousand times more than I ever did.

I just want him to be happy. Because I love him…

Think I've realised right this moment what the phrase at the beginning of this diary meant. It is not my life being compared to it, but something much more powerful than that….

I understand that now.

With each pale sky and every colourless ocean, it is **my love** that will always turn them… the deepest blue.

--------------------

The very last words from Ginny left Harry speechless. He couldn't think… couldn't feel. His lips trembled with ample pain and salty tears didn't stop rolling down his cheeks. Harry wasn't even aware of himself when he bolted out the room, down the swirling staircases and then out from of the Burrow. His heart was intensely racing as he dragged his two legs as fast he could across the swaying fields and scented meadows; the diary firmly clutched in his hands.

Harry collapsed on his knees upon reaching Ginny's grave and then broke down completely. "GINNY? WHY DID YOU HAVE TO LEAVE ME? GINNY, WHY? WHY? WHY?" He was going crazy, maddened with much grief. He wanted to die, and there seemed no point in living in a world where Ginny was not there. And how could she possibly expect him to survive when he only wanted to be with her?

Because he desired to feel close to her, Harry opened the diary once more and started to scan over the pages. But to his utter astonishment, he discovered that it was completely empty, that none of Ginny's writings was present in it. Flipping back to the first page, he fearfully realised what the string of Latin words had meant.

Read only once...

Ginny's words were gone... erased forever from existence. The whole world would be now deprived of the truth, and of what had gone through their saviour's mind during her year as the _Imperium_. It was no doubt the Ellemists were responsible for this, but Harry could not think of an acceptable reason why.

And perhaps… the diary had solely meant for him…

Still choking on his tears, he clutched at his chest and managed to voice out to the grave. "I loved you so much… You shouldn't have left me, Ginny… you shouldn't have…"

A warm sensation licked Harry's back and as he turned over, Harry slowly began to see the sun's beautiful orange rays sliding out from behind the hills. The sounds of birds chirping away in the morning were piercing through the dreary silence that had once surrounded Harry. All over the burial grounds, the budding flowers were beginning to sweetly blossom into their mature counterparts.

It wasn't too hard to compute; a new day had arrived before Harry, bringing not only its usual joy and happiness… but a whole new reason for Harry to live. It was truly remarkable, how fast Harry's once empty heart was filling up with gems of good faith, everlasting hope and the purest love. His tears were now drying up and Harry felt that he had been resurrected from an existence that was as good as being dead.

Harry knew this was somehow Ginny's doings. His love for her was still powerful and breathtaking as ever... and that is why he would always be in her debt. Harry owed it to her, to honour her sacrifice… and to fulfil _her_ dreams for him, dreams of continuing to live, having a future and finding someone to share his life with…

He would become happy… for Ginny…

----------------------------------------------------------------

Do not stand at my grave and weep;  
I am not there. I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.  
I am the diamond glints on snow.

I am the sunlight on ripened grain.  
I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning's hush  
I am the swift uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circled flight.  
I am the soft stars that shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry;  
I am not there. I did not die.

* * *

(A/N: The End!

I really hope all the readers liked it! Epilogue will be posted very soon!

Please… please don't forget to leave a review of your thoughts… Thanks!)


	31. EPILOGUE: The Perfect Balance

**------------------- EPILOGUE: The Perfect Balance -------------------**

The place could be considered just like any other wizarding television studio. Scores of scripts, heaps of reminders and drafts with funny doodles, along with other things of the sort were strewn everywhere and the occasional swish of a flying memo airplane zooming in and out could be heard in a distant faint. A number of _Luminariums_ or light-emitting birds in chipped golden cages were installed around various places to assure a most direct and best quality of lighting inside the studio. The television crew were buzzing around all over the place, making rapid notes and writing down crucial details with their weathered and scratchy quills, while others were occupied with checking an assortment of clockwork instruments and a few were quite busy adjusting the camera in position. On the stage set of the studio, a cosmetics expert was brushing up the guest speaker with last minute tinge of make-up, and alongside the host was hastily reviewing her notes and preparing herself mentally that her talk show was about to begin.

Certainly, this television studio and its bustling environment _might_ have resembled any other regular studio, but in fact, it couldn't be any more different. Because WTN - _Wizarding Television Network_ was considered the _top_ for broadcasting the most current news and finest quality entertainment shows all around the wizarding world.

Gertrude Waterbanks, the talk show host put her notes aside and then asked an administrator who was passing by. "Are we ready yet?"

"Almost…" he replied, consulting his clipboard. "We're just waiting for an owl from the Ministry Officials to give a thumbs-up on showing those scenes from the Seriously-Determined-Elf-Rebellion Party led by Dobby, the ex-house elf and that Granger woman." Just then, a tawny owl swooped inside from one of the open windows and landed on the administrator's shoulders. "Ah… here it is…" He ripped open the envelop that the owl had brought from the Ministry of Magic and quickly scanned it. "Green light from the Ministry… COME ON EVERYBODY… LET'S GET THE SHOW STARTED!"

There was a sound of a hectic rustle, as the crew quickly switched on the various recording apparatuses with the tip of their wands while Gertrude and her guest speaker settled themselves on the sofa present on the stage set. The camerawizard looked at the two ladies seated before him and then notified. "We're going live... in three, two and one second." And with a soft clicking sound, the camera sprung to life in front of the ladies.

Gertrude smoothed down her metallic purple robes before grinning at the camera. "Good evening everyone. I'm Gertrude Waterbanks and welcome to another episode of _Magic Talk Today. _I have a very special guest with me here, tonight. She's a magnificent witch, full of talent, intellect and mind you, has great sense of hilarity. But more importantly, she has just discovered the _Rock of Sapientia_ and of course, I am talking about none other than... Shauna Swirl."

There was a roar of cheers and clapping from witches and wizards inside the studio, along with a whoop of delight from a very apparent and excited fan of Shauna Swirl. Gertrude had to shake her head with slight amusement before facing the visitor in her talk show. "We are extremely happy to have you here, Shauna."

"The pleasure is all mine." Shauna was smiling. On first glance, she could easily be considered as an extremely smart lady. Her crisp suit robes were the colour of the unimaginable bluest oceans, with her long black hair elegantly styled into a perfect knot but it was clearly the emerald glow in Shauna's eyes that captivated people all around her; they seemed to radiate a sense of sheer happiness and perhaps a furtive contentment. On the whole, her appearance was very proper and well-trimmed; however, the necktie Shauna was wearing totally gave away that she was a massive fan of Quiddtich as it was covered with an assortment of broomsticks, snitches, bludgers, quaffles and golden hoops.

"We are all ears." Gertrude Waterbanks uttered; she seemed quite excited. "Tell us about the rock you recently discovered."

Shauna spoke with well-lit confidence. "Well... The _Rock of Sapientia_ is an extremely powerful and a reactive element. _Sapientia_ is actually a Latin equivalent of the word 'transferable wisdom'. Therefore as the name suggests, this rock carries the ability to transfer some of its unique intelligence to a witch or a wizard. It can be in the form of anything - insight, prudence, knowledge or intellect."

"That's very interesting." Gertrude was nodding. "And how did you discover this 'supposedly' legendary rock?"

"All the ancient scriptures and books revealed that this rock was nothing more than a myth." Shauna explained. "When I received my Sorceress Scientist Degree, I started thinking about all the manifestations that occurred in the last few centuries. Especially the Vera Delta Case, which I found absolutely fascinating. I mean, how could just a regular witch like Vera invent thousands of effective spells in just a week? I knew there had been some sort of 'external' help. I spent two years working on her case, and eventually I found out that she had used the _Rock of Sapientia_ for the inventing purposes and had hidden it inside one of the Himalayan Mountains just before her death."

"And what do you plan to do with it?" Gertrude wanted to know.

Shauna replied with a laugh. "I've already handed the rock to the Ministry. I'm pretty sure that the Department of Mysteries can find better uses for it than I can."

"Let's talk about your past." Gertrude's face suddenly grew serious. "Shauna, I realise that it _must_ have been a dreadful ordeal what happened to you seven years ago, concerning the Triad Prophecy. But I am just curious. What was going through your head when you suddenly woke up as yourself in the Forbidden Forest the night of the Great Battle?"

Shauna took a deep breath as if bracing herself to recall a number of her painful memories "I was feeling lost and terribly confused, in the literal sense. It was as if, one moment I was in my room in London and the next... I was the midst of the Forbidden Forest covered in dirt and blood. I was seeing people whom I've never met in my entire life before, and they were jabbering what seemed like gibberish to me. Then a white bearded man... that was Professor Dumbledore, well… he sort of looked at me and eventually figured out that I wasn't Ginny Weasley anymore... but just plain and simple Shauna Swirl. He told me later that I had probably skipped a whole year of my life and that's when I sort of lost my mind."

Gertrude's eyebrows rose. "Of course, back then you had no idea that you were a witch."

"That's correct." Shauna stated. "Ginny Weasley had been given _my_ body to execute the essence of the Triad Prophecy. And I don't remember anything about it. It was just as though I hadn't existed at all for that certain period."

"And do you think that spending a couple of months at the Hogsmeade Rehabilitation Centre has helped you understand what had been going on?" Gertrude was considering.

"Definitely." Shauna was in complete agreement. "At first, it seemed that everything had been a just horrible nightmare. I didn't have an inkling of what had happened, nor what was in store for me. I had been a muggle all my life and I was going crazy seeing things that didn't make a single sense to me. But through careful counselling and proper therapy, I was informed of the truth. That's when I found out that there was a whole other world, co-existing with the muggle plane. That, there was magic all around us, with wands, spells and charms, as well as wonderful candies like Bertie Botts Every Bean Flavour, Chocolate Frogs and Drooble's Best Blowing Gum. And I was an important part of this world... a witch."

Shauna paused for a few seconds, her face full of strong emotions. "I also had been told that another witch had taken over my body for a whole year because she had been killed... and that she had desperately needed to fulfil an inevitable prophecy. It took me a lot of time to absorb and then accept all of it… especially when I found out that these things weren't even considered normal in the wizarding world."

"I see." Gertrude was listening carefully. "Were you angry?"

"I was at first." Shauna confessed as she crossed her slender legs. "In fact, I was furious at the world for doing this to me. I was angry with my parents, Professor Dumbledore and especially at Ginny Weasley for 'borrowing' my body. But, I slowly realised that none of them really had any control over what had happened. I softened up a bit, especially when I started speaking with people like the Weasleys, who explained a lot of things that finally started to make some sense."

"And so... you began your second life?" Gertrude determined.

"Yes I did." confirmed Shauna. "I was enrolled into Hogwarts… 'again'. I had been sixteen then, no way near the age of eleven when one should begin. So the teachers decided to accelerate my studies by tutoring me personally, and therefore I managed to graduate from Hogwarts in four years time instead of seven."

"Absolutely fascinating..." Gertrude was speaking. "And now you've become a _renowned_ wizarding scientist?"

Shauna grinned widely as she nodded her head. "Moreover, I love and enjoy every moment of it. Science and Magic really do make a wonderful combination together and it's very interesting when you're able to discover or invent something that can be of great use to wizards and witches. In fact, I believe that the advancements in the magical technology should be given much more importance in order for us to progress as an actualised community."

"Everybody has been dying to ask this question." Gertrude mentioned, as an elevated grin formed on her face. "How does it feel to be _married_ to one of the most famous and gifted International Qudditch players that this world has ever come across?"

Without warning, a semi-blinding light was flashing over the two ladies, but that lasted only for a second, and as what muggles would call a three-dimensional hologram instantly appeared in its place, showing a scene of blurred, scarlet–blue streaks rocketing to and fro across a high, green field. It took less than a mere moment for the viewers at home to recognise that the scene displaying before them was none other than that of the Qudditch World Cup which had taken place only a couple of days ago. Breathtaking as the winning scene was, as these Qudditch players had taken England to World Cup victory, everyone watched in recurring amazement as the muddled image of a seeker tore after the fluttering golden snitch and eventually catching it in a most daring and spectacular dive.

The crowd in the background of the scene exploded with happiness, just as seeker's team-mates mindlessly threw themselves onto him to celebrate England's triumph. A few minutes later, another clip from the World Cup match was being played; showing the same seeker doing a sort of a victory dance with the snitch in one hand, as he accidentally knocked himself out-cold with his very own broomstick and then falling flat on his face, glasses askew, in front of the stunned and now silenced Qudditch spectators.

Shauna had to laugh heartedly at it. "This scene always cracks me up and it would hardly classify Harry as 'famous', but more like incredibly 'stupid'. But I must say... I love being his wife and he is the most wonderful man in this universe. We have a terrific life together and sometimes I feel that it was clearly _worth_ going through all those terrible happenings, because I would never have met him in the first place if they hadn't happened."

"And how did you and Harry Potter fall in love?" Gertrude was very amused.

"He used to come and visit me at the rehab centre." Shauna revealed. "Harry always said that he had this uncanny attraction towards me that he couldn't have explained. I believe it was probably because of Ginny Weasley, his first love. You see, Harry was in love with her when she had died the first time around. And he fell in love with Ginny again, when she was present in my body. Of course, then Harry had thought his love had been for... well... for 'Shauna'. He realised the truth much later."

She sighed and continued. "Harry and I had talked about a lot of things when he visited. He confessed his everlasting love for Ginny Weasley and how he had lost her, twice. Harry poured out his soul to me probably because he'd thought I'd understand, as I had been quite 'close' to Ginny. And surprisingly, I _did_ understand. It was strange because I had never known Ginny Weasley. But, I have always felt that she had left a bit of her touch in me..."

"What happened next?" Gertrude was curious, as probably the audience in the wizarding world.

"My heart had instantly given in to Harry, as I scented his breath of life." Shauna went on. "And in due time, I had fallen in love with him. But I hadn't told him that then because I wasn't sure of how he'd react to it. Don't want to admit it, but I also had been very afraid… terrified of asking him to love me back. His heart seemed just so fixed with the remembrances of Ginny that it seemed cruel and heartless… if I took that away from him." Her revelations were interrupted with a long pause. "Anyhow, Harry graduated from Hogwarts a year later, began his Qudditch career and I didn't get to see him for quite a few years. Our paths eventually crossed when I decided to visit Ginny Weasley's grave one day. Harry seemed so grown-up then... I guess he had finally learned to move on without Ginny. We started talking again about many things. And during our conversation... I think Harry had realised something... that he was in love with me as well. That _exact_ moment... he asked me to marry him." She smiled graciously at the memory.

"Just like that?" Gertrude seemed extremely surprised as she equivocally raised her eyebrows. "Even whilst he had never dated you or made an attempt to get into a proper relationship... he proposed to you?"

Shauna was nodding her head. "I think so." Next, an illuminated smile was lighting up her beautiful face. "Although it was supposed to be a very uncomfortable situation, but somehow we were both at complete ease. It felt very natural and I believe Harry and I were _so_ much in love with each other that we both sensed that dating and relationships weren't really all that necessary."

"And of course, you accepted his surprising proposal..." Then Gertrude looked cheerfully at the camera. "Seems like a fairy tale to me." Facing her guest, the talk show host questioned Shauna. "I understand that Harry is often called by the Department of Defence. Is he also employed by the Ministry?"

Shauna didn't have to think twice. "You might say that he is, in a manner of speaking, a part-time Auror. Sometimes the Ministry requires 'special' skills that only Harry can provide, like his ability to communicate Parseltounge. It comes in very handy when they have to negotiate with villainous snakes."

"I'm very curious about your kids, Shauna." Gertrude was saying. "How are they like?"

"Those two are the naughtiest lot I have ever seen." Shauna admitted with an unusual grin on her face. "But the weirdest bit is that I love them with all my heart and so does their father. I keep telling myself... Harry and I are very blessed with Aaralyn and Zachary."

Gertrude smiled. "So, do you have any plans for the summer?"

"Oh, yes." Shauna assured confidently. "Harry's best friend, Ron Weasley and his wife, Hermione are coming with us to a trip to the highlands of Kenya. I recently heard that the Alchemist's Cure is hidden somewhere there. I was planning to begin a research on it."

"That sounds very adventurous." Gertrude remarked as she stood up from the sofa, indicating that Shauna's part in the show was almost finished. "And I wish you the very best of luck on your trip. Shauna, thank you very much for taking some time to speak with us and to the world. You've been a fascinating guest."

Shauna also rose. "Thank _you_, for having me on _Magic Talk Today._ It has been a real pleasure."

Both ladies shook hands, and then Gertrude Waterbanks turned towards the running camera once more and spoke with a smile. "Don't leave your seats yet, because just after the break we'll be talking to Dobby, the ex-house elf about his shocking and madcap decision to liberate all house elves from their domestic imprisonment. So please stay tuned to _Magic Talk Today _and to the rest of the mind-turning stories from around the wizarding world…"

--------------------------------------

An hour later, Shauna Swirl-Potter had reached her home at the revived Godric's Hollow. She took out her wand from her purse, pointed at the door and voiced. "_Patefacio._" It swung open instantly and she stepped inside her Arabian styled living room.

Just then her bespectacled husband came up and encircled his arms around Shauna. "You're back..." Harry muttered as he began smothering her with small kisses.

"Did you see it?" Shauna demanded; her heart was beating a little faster than usual. 'Did you…?"

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world." Harry was kissing her neck. "You were wonderful."

Shauna let out a breath of relief. "I was so nervous! It's amazing how I got through the show without embarrassing myself in front millions of witches and wizards."

"That's because you're a beautiful and talented person, Shauna." Harry insisted looking profoundly into her eyes. "And a genius. MY genius!"

"Oh Harry..." Shauna kissed him back and she loved him so bloody much. But unfortunately, his rounded glasses were getting in the way. She playfully took then off and started to kiss him everywhere.

"I should get rid of them... shouldn't I?" Harry considered, obviously enjoying the sensation.

"No... no!" she declared. "That's your identity... these rounded glasses make you 'the famous Harry Potter'. And besides, I love them!" All of a sudden she noticed something odd; there had been no noise in the house since she arrived. "Where are the children?"

"I dropped them off at Ron's." Harry answered as he pulled her closer, his voice was now husky. "I wanted to be completely alone with you."

"That's not a half-bad idea." Shauna confessed, kissing Harry's lightning shaped scar on his forehead. "What do you want to do?"

Harry answered her with a devilish question. "What do most married couples like to do?"

"Eat!" Shauna exclaimed, making a dash towards the kitchen. "What did you make for dinner?"

Harry was puzzled. "I thought cooking was your department, Shauna."

"It is. But we agreed you'd prepare dinner tonight because I had to do a show." she reminded him as- a-matter-of-factly.

"Oh... I completely forgot!" Harry burst out apologetically, putting his spectacles back on. "What the heck... let's eat out."

"I can't." Shauna informed him, plopping on a couch. "Too tired."

"Alright then... I'll go and get us something to eat." Harry said as he pulled of his coat off the rack. "What would you prefer? Poltergeist's Pizza or the Bawling Burger Joint?"

"Pizza sounds alright…" she got up and went towards Harry. "Now, don't take too long."

"I won't." promised Harry as he gave his wife a quick kiss. "I love you, Ginny."

"Ginny...?" Shauna's face fell, as it instantly metamorphosed into an immensely hurtful expression.

"Oh no..." Harry exclaimed, realising what he had just done. "Oh damn... it was a slip of the tongue, Shuana... I didn't mean that... I swear!"

Shauna angrily turned away from him and was stomping away, when Harry grabbed her arm and scowled. "OY! Missy... don't get mad at me?"

She twirled annoyingly to face him. "You still are madly in love with _her_, aren't you?"

Harry was a loss for words. "Well, I..."

"I want to know the truth." Shauna demanded, crossing her arms and at the same time trying to avoid the hurtful flicker in her husband's eyes.

"Well then... Yes." Harry confessed truthfully. "I do _still_ love Ginny."

"No..." Shauna was in denial; she covered her face with her hands.

Harry reached out to touch her, but she pulled back abruptly. She was so enraged that she felt like giving him a nice and firm slap him in the face. But she restrained that desire and looked up at him. "But I am your wife, Harry!" she yelled. "I have been always faithful to you throughout the years! I have given you _my_ body, with _my_ love and hell lot of support! And I have carried your two children in _my_ belly and I'm working my butt off tired raising them! You're supposed to ONLY love me!"

Shauna paused for a moment to catch her breath. "But you continue to love Ginny to such a GREAT extent that on impulse... you call _me_ by her name! How could you do _that_ to me…?"

Harry appeared horrified at this. "Shauna..."

"Am I so insignificant compared to _your_ lovely Ginny that you try to find the traces of her in me?" she demanded through painful tears; her heart seemed deeply wounded. "Well… guess what, Harry… SHE'S GONE! GONE! It's SHAUNA in this cursed body now, SO DEAL WITH IT!"

Harry was now getting annoyed. "That's enough, Shauna! Didn't you hear me when I said that it was an honest slip? I didn't mean _anything_ by saying Ginny's name… it was a mistake!"

"You mean... that it was mistake marrying me!" Shauna retorted powerfully. "I've always suspected that you did it because then I would constantly remind you of _your lovely_ Ginny Weasley. Then why did you even bother..."

She was cut-off from completing her sentence because Harry had unexpectedly grabbed her left wrist, then pulled her into his arms and mercilessly devoured her lips. "Tell me... if this is a mistake..." he was whispering into her ear.

Shauna was too hurt to succumb into his dynamic kiss. With an adequate amount of force, she pushed him away from her. "How dare you try to kiss me... when you so openly and… directly confessed that you love… _her_ far better than you'll ever love me?"

"Listen Shauna... I love _you_." Harry was assuring her sincerely. "I love you more than anyone in this world. There is no one else for me..."

She was getting very incensed at him. "That's a total lie! If you had _really_ loved me more than anything, then you should have COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN about Ginny!"

"Shauna..." Harry tried to reason. "That's not fair."

"Just forget about her... please…" Shauna begged as her green eyes sparkled with tears.

Harry remained silent for quite a while, as if profoundly absorbing in the emotion on his wife's wilting face. His emerald eyes were radiating the feel of the deepest galaxy… very much vast, powerful and riddled with so many obscure mysteries. He then gazed at Shauna and with a heavy sigh, he revealed to her what was on his mind.

"Here I am and you don't understand me…" Harry was saying. "You don't seem to know that I need you so much. You're not aware of my feelings… or the reason I'm breathing…"

"What… what the hell are you talking about… Harry?" demanded Shauna, with a surge of confusion.

Harry was shaking his head in the strangest fashion, ignoring Shauna's question. "Ginny would have understood me… I'm sorry…" With a momentary pause, he slowly voiced… making sure that she comprehended his each and every word. "So that's the reason why I can never forget her… Please, try to understand that I can NEVER forget you... Ginny."

She looked up at her husband and immediately frowned. "What did you say...?"

"You _can't _fool me twice, Ginny Weasley. I have always known... And I'm surprised at you that you haven't figured it out. You _should've_ understood me… that I would never love anyone else. But… none of it matters now." Flashing away an unexpected sly smile, he candidly winked at her. "And don't worry about it... you're secret is safe with me."

"But… I'm not… not…" Her trailing words were instantly cut off by Harry's delirious laugh.

"Drop it, Ginny… I _know_…" He declared with an unwavering expression on his face, then hastily kissed her lips and with that, Harry Potter left through the door to get their dinner.

She just stood there, completely stunned... watching him disappear silently into the night. "How the hell did he find out...?" she found herself demanding in absolute astonishment. She had never told anyone about this, not even to her husband... or had given him the slightest hint or indication of her true identity… just as she loyally promised to the Ellemists seven years ago. _Then how could Harry have possibly...?_

But then she realised that it really wasn't of importance, anymore. _He knew that Shauna wasn't the one who returned... he knew that it had been me all along..._

Ginny smiled, as feelings of unimaginable joy and triumphant erupted inside her. _Harry knew..._

---------------------------------

Some countless miles away, in the suburbs of a small urban town in England stood a house, quite different from the other ones stacked neatly on Magnox Street. A muggle perhaps, wouldn't notice these subtle differences, but a passer-by witch or a wizard would easily be able to tell that the house belonged to a warm-hearted family of their kind. On its porch, lay a collection of strange toys including a fully functional broomstick for children, a messy pile of exploding Snap cards and two sets of Gobstones. Obviously, a child had been playing with these and had not bothered to clean up after himself.

Normally, his mother would have gotten angry with him and would have shouted at him for being a lazy bum, but today she was picking up after him… without the slightest hint of anger. In fact, she was feeling extremely wistful and preoccupied and on the contrary, her face was lit with a profound smile.

"Mum… why are you grinning that goofy grin?" Her six year-old son, Will asked just as she entered the house with all the toys in her hands and then placed them in the toy box. The woman looked lovingly at her son; she picked him up and placed him on her lap. "I'm just happy…"

"Why are you happy?" Will wanted to know.

A sensation of love fluttered inside her body… an emotion so powerful that she felt like crying, having tasted its beauty time and time again. Choking back a suppressed tear, she managed to find her voice. "I'm happy because I just saw someone whom I was very close to once."

Will's face curled with innocent confusion. "But… but you were watching TV some time ago…" Next, he was bursting out with happiness. "Wow, mum! Do you know anyone famous? Who is it?"

Speaking seemed to harder than usual, and she was very well aware of the reason. "Her name… is Shauna Swirl…" she answered. "She was… she was a very… dear friend." The woman was partially lying to Will because Shauna Swirl had been more than a just a 'dear' friend.

"Do you have a picture of her?" Her son was curious. "I want to see what she looks like…"

The woman had to think for a moment. "I think I have it somewhere… Oh yes, I remember now…" She picked up her wand which was lying on the centre table and then simply uttered. "_Accio Album_."

Within seconds, a photo album came whizzing from upstairs and she caught it with one swift movement of her hand. She began to flip through the pages till she found the picture she was looking for. It was a muggle photo of a young girl with long black hair, soft emerald eyes, a beautiful face and the most breathtaking smile. "That's her… I reckon she must have been fifteen or so when this was taken."

Will seemed to instantly like her. "What's she doing now?"

"Shauna's a famous scientist." The woman explained. "And she's married to Harry Potter!"

"Harry Potter?" He didn't seem to believe it. "HARRY POTTER… CAPTAIN OF THE WINSFIELD WHISPERERS? NO WAY… MUM! You're pulling my leg, aren't you mum?"

She had to laugh out loud. "No, I'm not. It's completely true…"

"WHOA! THAT IS SO COOL!" He appeared incredibly amazed and jumping with joy. "I've got to tell Jerry about this…" With that, Will sprung to his feet and was out of the door in a flash to meet his good friend and tell him of his good fortune of being miraculously related with the legendary Harry Potter.

It was after her son had disappeared from her sight, that she was lost once again in the flooding memories of another world… and a completely separate lifetime. Just thinking of it caused tears of overwhelming grief to form in her eyes. Everything had been so different back then… so much simpler.

And she missed it terribly…

But that didn't mean that she wasn't now happy now, because she was. She loved her life and wouldn't trade it for all the jewels and riches in the universe. She was married to a man who was her first and only love, and she adored her son to death.

And she had kept her secret; her word to the Ellemists was true and binding. It was absolutely necessary that the truth be buried for all times in order to maintain the ultimate Equilibrium. Now, what exactly this Equilibrium was; she didn't have a clue… but it was apparent that the knowledge of it was not even in the faintest grasp of mortals. And she had been forewarned by the Proclaimers of Prophecies - never to tell anyone the secret of her true identity… of who she really was in mind and soul… however, it seemed that only one other person in this world knew about it. Ginny Weasley…

Only Ginny knew that Nova Bennett was in fact, the real Shauna Swirl. No one else did… not even her muggle husband Jack Bennett.

And perhaps Professor Dumbledore, the gifted Headmaster of Hogwarts knew that as well at some instinctive level. He was blessed with the sort of powers that no other wizard or witch can only dream of having and she was sure that he somehow was very well aware of the concealed truth regarding her and Ginny.

"Nova…what are you still doing down there?" Her husband was calling her from the upstairs bedroom. "Hurry up… we're going to be late for the Richardson's party."

She wiped away the tears with her hands; then forced herself to smile. And yet, that smile came naturally upon her face… for she had realised the myriad blessings that God had showered upon her and everyone she loved. "I'm coming, Jack…"

All was well now… the perfect balance of bodies and souls.

* * *

**(A/N updated on the 1st August 2007): **

**Can anyone draw parallels between this story and 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' ?  
**

**I've noticed that despite the fact that I completed this fanfic a long time ago, I still get a lot of page hits. So if you have read this story, liked/disliked it and would like to comment on it, then plz don't hesitate. Because I just love reading reviews of what the readers think of my story! Thank you!)**

(A/N: aHeM… WeLL? Really hoped u guys liked it !

**WANTED:** rEvieWs aBouT uR tHouGhtS oN thE ePiloGuE aNd thE fINaL eNdiNg tO tHiS sToRy… Critical Reviews will also be appreciated.

AnD vErY mAnY ThANkS to EveRYboDY whO reVieWEd…

**masteraiko, j'ashley, slave bisoujo, SugarGirl, SapphireAngel. MagicalMe, Shella, D.S. Moony, Silmariën, chrisblack, shdurrani, arkaynn, Silmilly, anime-freaksg, the authorthatwrites, northshorenative64, krazypotter13, MagicalMe, bre, Fireballer, Devotion408, sonu, Shella, Me4U, TalleyAnne, Lorwyn Malfoy, Cracks, AznAngel, Tess, eedoe, Ginny and Harry, Nav Potter, Web Walker, Your Best Nightmare, tandy2007, Ookii Mamoru, LupinFanNo1, skyhigh, MrKlortho, DeeDee23, Meggie, Blue Phoenix2, Someone ;, Lauren, Angus Hardie, FireCracker, mags, Lila, FireLotus, Serenity55, Mama, supernovagal, Spirit, Meggo, leggomyeggo, ahbahh, Dk Lili, SolitarySoul, Wytil, Mikey, Deadeye748, BlackHoleOftheWizardingWorldSC, Chip, niphler, San Diego Fan, Seven, Kristen, carol, Gwyll, Headmaster Cromwell, madmak, torifire126, Mep, Zoe, SkyAndEarth, d-Scribe, reviewer, Silver Warrior, ayrin, ghost135, Lyra Silvertongue, Karina345, Deathzealot, iluvdanielradcliffe, yeknottemaster, Anna, Hermione2be, icy manipulator, jay1288, Ginevra Potter, Ginny05**

and especially…** _Yokokaru-chan_** and **_Potteranne_** - who reviewed my fic from beginning to end!

If you're interested… then I have an idea for another Harry Potter story… it's been forming in my mind for quite a while now. I will gladly post its first chapter as soon as I develop a concrete story line. It's already been named… _The Sílentí _and features a completely different world than we know of… maybe with a couple of new characters.

It has been a great pleasure writing "In the midst of it all". Again, I heartily thank all the Reviewers who took their time to read and review this story.)


End file.
